Question

An intravenous line with 1L of 5% Dextrose is dripping at 40

drops/minute. If the drop factor is 20drops/ml and the infusion is
started at 0800, what time would you expect the infusion to be
complete?

Answer 1

To calculate the completion time of the IV infusion, convert the drip rate to ml/min, determine how many minutes to administer 1L, and add this time to the starting time of 0800. The infusion set at 40 drops/min with a drop factor of 20 drops/ml, resulting in 2 mL/min, will take 500 minutes to complete, ending at 4:20 PM.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the completion time of an intravenous (IV) infusion based on the given flow rate, total volume, and the drop factor. The IV drip is set to administer 1L of 5% Dextrose at a rate of 40 drops per minute, and the drop factor is 20 drops/ml. To find the time it will take for the entire liter to be administered, we must first determine how many minutes it takes to deliver 1 ml, which is determined by the drop factor, and then calculate the total time for 1L (which is 1000ml).

Calculation steps:

1. Calculate the flow rate in mL/min: 20 drops/mL (drop factor) = 40 drops/min (drip rate) → 40 drops/min ÷ 20 drops/mL = 2 mL/min.
2. Calculate the total infusion time: 1000 mL (total volume) ÷ 2 mL/min = 500 minutes.
3. Calculate the completion time: The infusion started at 0800. To find the completion time, we add 500 minutes to the start time. In hours, this is 8 hours and 20 minutes, so the infusion will be complete at 1620, or 4:20 PM.

The subject encompasses knowledge of health, nursing, and clinical practices involving IV infusions and basic arithmetic to calculate the completion time of the infusion.