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A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving 0.9% sodium chloride 1000mL to infuse over 8 hours. The drop factor on the manual IV tubing is 15 gtt/mL. The nurse should ensure that the manual infusion is set to deliver how many gtt/min?

User Vladikoff
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Final answer:

To calculate the manual infusion rate in gtt/min, we need to convert the 8-hour infusion time into minutes. The drop factor is 15 gtt/mL, so for a 1000 mL infusion, the total number of drops will be 15000 gtt. Dividing the total number of drops by the infusion time in minutes gives the infusion rate in gtt/min as approximately 31.25 gtt/min.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the manual infusion rate in gtt/min, we need to convert the 8-hour infusion time into minutes. There are 60 minutes in 1 hour, so 8 hours is 8 x 60 = 480 minutes. Next, we calculate the total number of drops per minute using the drop factor and infusion volume. The drop factor is 15 gtt/mL, so for a 1000 mL infusion, the total number of drops will be 15 gtt/mL x 1000 mL = 15000 gtt. Lastly, we divide the total number of drops by the infusion time in minutes to find the infusion rate in gtt/min. Therefore, the manual infusion should be set to deliver 15000 gtt / 480 min, which is approximately 31.25 gtt/min.

User Eric Uldall
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