Final answer:
To find the drops per minute for an IV drip at 20ml/hour, one needs to know the drop factor, often around 20 gtt/ml for a microdrip set. Assuming a drop factor of 20 gtt/ml, the rate would be approximately 6 to 7 drops per minute.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the number of drops per minute required for an IV drip ordered at 20ml/hour without an IV infusion controller, we need to know the drop factor of the IV set being used, which is typically measured in drops per ml (gtt/ml). The drop factor can vary, but a standard drop factor is often 20 gtt/ml for a microdrip set, and 15, 10 or 60 gtt/ml for macrodrip sets. However, as this detail is not provided in the question, calculation specifics cannot be completed.
Generally, the formula to calculate the flow rate in drops per minute is:
- (Volume to be infused (ml) × Drop factor (gtt/ml)) ÷ Time (min)
If we assume a drop factor of 20 gtt/ml, the calculation would be:
- (20 ml/hour × 20 gtt/ml) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 6.67 gtt/minute
Therefore, the IV would need to be set to approximately 6 to 7 drops per minute when using a microdrip set with these assumed parameters.