Question

cefuroxime sodium, 1 g in 50 ml normal saline (ns), is to be administered over 30 minutes to a client with an infection. the drop factor is 15 drops (gtt)/1 ml. the nurse sets the flow rate at how many drops per minute?

Answer 1

The flow rate for the administration of cefuroxime sodium 1 g in 50 ml normal saline over 30 minutes with a drop factor of 15 gtt/ml is 25 drops per minute. This is found by multiplying the volume by the drop factor to determine total drops, then dividing by the time in minutes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the flow rate of a medication being administered intravenously. Given that the order is for cefuroxime sodium 1 g in 50 ml normal saline (NS) to be delivered over 30 minutes, and the drop factor is 15 gtt/ml, we can calculate the drops per minute as follows:

First, we determine the total number of drops for the 50 ml:

Total drops = 50 ml × 15 gtt/ml

= 750 gtt.

Then, we calculate the flow rate in drops per minute by dividing the total number of drops by the total infusion time in minutes:

Flow rate = Total drops ÷ Infusion time (min)

Flow rate = 750 gtt ÷ 30 minutes

= 25 gtt/min.

Thus, the nurse would need to set the IV flow rate at 25 drops per minute to administer 1 g of cefuroxime sodium in 50 ml of normal saline over a 30-minute period.