Final answer:
To calculate the drip rate per minute for an IV infusion of 1000 mL D5LR over 8 hours with a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL, you divide the total volume by the time, multiply by the drop factor, and then divide by 60. The result is a drip rate of approximately 31 drops per minute.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how to calculate the drip rate for an IV infusion. In this medical dosage calculation, one needs to know the total volume of fluid to be infused, the timeframe for the infusion, and the drop factor of the IV set being used. Given a liter (1000 mL) of D5LR to be infused over 8 hours with a drop factor of 15 gtts/mL, we calculate the drip rate in drops per minute.
To solve this, take the total volume to be infused, which is 1000 mL, and divide by the number of hours, 8, to get the rate per hour. Then multiply by the drop factor and divide by 60 to convert the rate to minutes:
- Total volume (mL) / Time (hours) = Rate (mL/hour)
- Rate (mL/hour) × Drop factor (gtts/mL) = Drip rate (gtts/hour)
- Drip rate (gtts/hour) / 60 (min/hour) = Drip rate (gtts/min)
So the calculations are:
- 1000 mL / 8 hours = 125 mL/hour
- 125 mL/hour × 15 gtts/mL = 1875 gtts/hour
- 1875 gtts/hour / 60 minutes/hour = 31.25 gtts/min
Therefore, the drip rate is approximately 31 drops per minute.