Final answer:
To administer 500 mL of fluid through an IV at a drip rate of 50 gtt/min and a drop factor of 20 gtt/mL, it will take approximately 3.33 hours.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking how long it will take to administer 500 mL of fluid through an IV with a specific drop factor and drip rate. To find the time in hours, we need to use the given drip rate of 50 gtt/min and the drop factor of 20 gtt/mL.
First, calculate how many drops per minute are needed to deliver 500 mL of fluid:
- Total drops needed = Volume of fluid (mL) × Drop factor (gtt/mL)
- Total drops needed = 500 mL × 20 gtt/mL
- Total drops needed = 10,000 gtt
Next, determine how many minutes it will take to administer these drops at the given drip rate:
- Time (minutes) = Total drops needed / Drip rate (gtt/min)
- Time (minutes) = 10,000 gtt / 50 gtt/min
- Time (minutes) = 200 min
Finally, convert the time from minutes to hours:
- Time (hours) = Time (minutes) / 60
- Time (hours) = 200 min / 60
- Time (hours) = 3.× hours
The IV will take approximately 3.33 hours to administer 500 mL of fluid at the given drip rate and drop factor.