Calculating IV drip rate without a pump

Nurses General Nursing

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I am orienting at a new ER. Other than peds and some meds we don't use pumps to run IVF. When a doc orders NS 250ml/hr the nurse uses the roller clamp to set the rate. I remember something about counting drips per minute but I forget the rest. In our ER we use standard tubing, 20 I think? I would appreciate any help. Also I did try to post this in Med Savy last night but so far still waiting for approval from the moderator. Thanks for the help

Specializes in Dialysis.
I graduated 2 years ago, and all we did with IVs was manual drip rates and time-taping. I've never used a pump.

What is time-taping?

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

You can stand there and count the drips but the problem is that when a patient moves their arm, occludes the vein this can stuff up your drip count.

In our OR we just go by slow, medium and fast. Anything that needs to be given at a specific rate goes on a pump.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.
You can stand there and count the drips but the problem is that when a patient moves their arm, occludes the vein this can stuff up your drip count.

In our OR we just go by slow, medium and fast. Anything that needs to be given at a specific rate goes on a pump.

It is certainly not an exact science. I usually only bother when it's for an antibiotic that should run in over a specific amount of time and a pump is not readily available, or if I'm going to give a large dose of Lasix or something. I don't want to stand there and push for five minutes, and it only takes a few seconds to put the Lasix in a 25cc minibag, then set it up to drip in over about five minutes. Of course, you still have to push whatever is left in the tubing, but if you use short tubing, it isn't much.

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Specializes in Hospice.
What is time-taping?

God luv ya :lol2: (ETA:

Time taping is the practice of using a piece of tape on the side of the iv bag or bottle to indicate the approximate time the fluid should reach that level. ie, for 100ml/hr, the bag would be marked at 100ml iintervals with the time that amount should have been infused. Clear as mud? It's a way to help monitor iv flow rates ... if your fluid is way ahead or way behind, you can see it right away and address it.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

cool, thanks!

I work in dialysis, I only give occasional antibiotics (with a pump). Can't wait to get more experience though!

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Specializes in LTC.

They taught us old school math for meds methods in nursing school. We were not allowed to use a calculator.. at all.. in any part of the nursing program. We had to do all math on paper neatly and clearly. Even on my boards with the drop down calculator.. I still used the dry erase pad for the math questions.

IV- ( ml/hour ) x (gtt factor) / 60 minutes

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They taught us old school math for meds methods in nursing school. We were not allowed to use a calculator.. at all.. in any part of the nursing program. We had to do all math on paper neatly and clearly. Even on my boards with the drop down calculator.. I still used the dry erase pad for the math questions.

IV- ( ml/hour ) x (gtt factor) / 60 minutes

*Wow*

Did not think there were any nursing programs left that forbade students from using calculators. How very interesting.

The program I attended back in the 1980's was that way (paper and pencils only, show all work, set formulas, etc), but from what one read here thought most schools moved with the times.

Math is probably the one of the top "problems" nursing programs, and students have. The United States in general does not do a great job these days in that area, and it is possible to graduate from high school without knowing times tables by heart, nor even 9th grade math skills. The rapid advancement of caculators and now "smart phones" by students of all grades has made things only more difficult.

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Specializes in LTC.
*Wow*

Did not think there were any nursing programs left that forbade students from using calculators. How very interesting.

The program I attended back in the 1980's was that way (paper and pencils only, show all work, set formulas, etc), but from what one read here thought most schools moved with the times.

Math is probably the one of the top "problems" nursing programs, and students have. The United States in general does not do a great job these days in that area, and it is possible to graduate from high school without knowing times tables by heart, nor even 9th grade math skills. The rapid advancement of caculators and now "smart phones" by students of all grades has made things only more difficult.

The LPN program I attended was very very old school and very very strict and when I do get my first nursing position(soon I hope!), not only do I feel very well prepared for it but I know I will be a very good nurse.

Math comes easy to me.. I cannot do math in my head, I prefer to use paper and write it out thanks to nursing school. Even when I would use a calculator like at my computer.. I'll use a sheet of paper instead. I just find the old pen and pencil method more comfortable to use which is not usual for someone my age.

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