Question

A 1000-mL dose of D5W 12% normal saline is to be infused in 8 hours. The drop factor for the tubing is 60 gtt/min. How many drops per minute should the nurse administer?

a) 125 gtt/min
b) 150 gtt/min
c) 100 gtt/min
d) 200 gtt/min

Answer 1

To determine the infusion rate in drops per minute, calculate the total volume in milliliters (1000 mL), divide by the total infusion time in minutes (480 minutes), and multiply by the drop factor (60 drops/mL), resulting in 125 gtt/min.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate how many drops per minute the nurse should administer for a 1000-mL dose of D5W 12% normal saline to be infused in 8 hours, we need to use the following formula:

1. First, convert the total volume to be infused into milliliters (1000 mL).
2. Divide this by the number of minutes over which the infusion is to be given (8 hours x 60 minutes = 480 minutes).
3. Multiply the result by the drop factor (drops/mL).
   Using this approach: (1000 mL / 480 minutes) x 60 drops/mL = 125 drops/minute
4. So, the correct answer is: a) 125 gtt/min.