Question

A nurse is preparing to administer cefazolin 1g in 100 mL 0.9% sodium chloride to infuse over 30 min. The drop factor of the manual IV tubing is 15 gtt/mL. The nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver how many gtt/min? (Round to the nearest whole number)

A) 20 gtt/min
B) 30 gtt/min
C) 40 gtt/min
D) 50 gtt/min

Answer 1

To determine the manual IV infusion rate in gtt/min for a cefazolin 1g in 100 mL 0.9% sodium chloride solution, the calculation uses the formula Infusion rate (gtt/min) = Total volume (mL) × Drop factor (gtt/mL) ÷ Time (min). The appropriate rate in this case is 50 gtt/min.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question is centered on the calculation of a manual IV infusion rate. Specifically, the student is asking how to set the manual IV infusion to deliver a specific amount of medication over a given time period. To calculate the infusion rate in gtt/min (drops per minute), we use the formula:

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = Total volume (mL) × Drop factor (gtt/mL) ÷ Time (min)

Following this formula and plugging in the given values:

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = 100 mL × 15 gtt/mL ÷ 30 min

We then perform the calculation:

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = 1500 gtt ÷ 30 min

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = 50 gtt/min

Therefore, the nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver 50 gtt/min to administer the cefazolin 1g in 100 mL 0.9% sodium chloride over 30 minutes.