Can someone help me with these 2 math problems?

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2003

I was never any good at ratios! LOL The really complicated ones always had me messing up.

Born2BAnurse · Jul 16, 2003

Kristi that first problem you gave me was right just checked the answers in the back of the book the second one the answer was 1tsp

Born2BAnurse · Jul 16, 2003

Ok here is one more problem TO find the drip factor you need to be given the about of drops right..

example: an IV of 1L of D51/2 NS is to run at 150ml/hr how long will this IV run?

would I convert 1L to ML.

TO find drip factor =38ggts/min (info that I need before I do the problem)

VXD over T

BunnyBunnyBSNRN, ASN, BSN · Jul 16, 2003

I find it helpful to read thru the problem and then go back and circle/underline/highlight only the information that is needed . This way, I don't get wrapped up in the name of the med or other info that has been put into the problem that I don't need. (ie pt weight, etc)

Also, Colleen is right about writing out the "ordered" and "available" information. I also write any other info if needed to solve the problem.

For the first problem, I set up my it up like this:

1. Digoxin(lanoxin) 0.125mg is ordered. On hand is Lanoxin 0.5mg/ml how many milliters will be given?

O: 0.125mg

A: 0.5mg/ml

ml=0.125mg/1 x 1ml/0.5mg

Hope this helps!

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2003

Born2B, would you mind asking your instructor why the answer was only 1tsp (5ml) when the order was for 6ml? I'm assuming that the reason is that the mom only has a teaspoon available, so it would be impossible for her to measure out the .2, so she rounded down to just 1tsp, but this is conjecture on the part of the math-doer, so just for clarity's sake, let m eknow what she says. :>) Technically, the 1.2tsp is correct, and if you had a calibrated measuring cup you could give the exact amount of the medication to the child. You shouldn't routinely round off, of course (and we hardly ever do- I work in an NICU where every .001 counts!), so you should ask about that when you get into class.

colleen10 · Jul 17, 2003

Hi Born 2 Be,

Were you able to figure out the second question you posted, regarding the drip rates and amount of time til the bag would run out?

Just out of curiosity, can I post you what I thought the answers were just to see if I'm right? We just started doing I.V. problems in class last night.

I figured out for the first part of the question - "How long will this I.V. run?" I got 6 hours and 40 minutes.

Now, the second part, "drips per minute", I am a bit confused. Can you figure it out based on the information you allready have? I got 2.5mL/min for the first part of the question but am unaware of a way to convert mL to gtt.

The way my book and teacher have taught us to do these, you need to know what type of I.V. tubing you are working with and what the calibration is (gtt/min).

Born2BAnurse · Jul 17, 2003

HI Collen I was able to get the answers.. Thanks for everyone helps.. we dont have a tutor at school well we do but he dont undestand what he's doing.. So I dont know how he is suppose to help me.. Im really going to need some help with this math. We dont have a good math teacher at all.. She gets help from the students in the class .... This is whats going to be what kicks me out of nursing school...

That last part of your email is correct... you have to give Sets delivered.. Macrodrop sets deliver 10.15.or 20 drops per 1ml

Born2BAnurse · Jul 17, 2003

Kristi or Collen. can you help me with this one?

150 ml/hr of 1000 5D/W (15 gtts) how many hours would it take for 20000cc? what is drip factor?

colleen10 · Jul 17, 2003

Born 2 Be,

I'm a little confused with this last question.

It Runs at 150mL/hour and the total volume of solution in the bag is 1,000mL?

A cc is the same as a mL so to ask how long it would take 20,000cc's to run doesn't make sense because you don't have that much in the bag.

Am I mixing something up here?

Born2BAnurse · Jul 17, 2003

No , I wrote it down just they way she wrote it ,,, It might just be written incorrectly..

colleen10 · Jul 17, 2003

OK,

Assuming that the problem was correctly written by her this is how I would approach it.

----------Step 1 Re-write information you have ----------------------

Rate = 150mL/hour

Set = 15 gtt/mL

Size of Bag = 1,000mL

----------Step 2 Solve for 1st Question --------------------------------

How long til 20,000 CC's runs out at the above rate?

Solve for hours:

Note: remember that cc is the same as mL so you don't have to convert any units for this problem.

1 hr 20,000 mL

hr = ----------- x ----------------

150 mL 1

Answer is 133.33, which is about 133 hours and 20 minutes.

----------Step 3 Solve for the 2nd Question -----------------------------

What is the drip rate?

We need to figure out the gtt/min.

Thus, we will solve for gtt/min

gtt

----- =

min.

We know the rest of the information necessary to figure this out because it was given to us and is re-written at the top of this post.

Thus,

gtt 15gtt 150mL 1 hr

---- = --------- x ----------- x ------------

min. 1mL 1 hr 60 min.

Condense the problem and cross-cancel out your mL and hrs. and you get:

15 150 1 2,250 37.5 gtt

----- x ------ x ----- = ------------- = ------------

1 1 60 60 1 min

Assuming the question was written out correctly, your teacher may have been trying to be sneaky and added that "1,000 ml bag of 5D/W" just to confuse you. My teacher does that to to illustrate that throwing that information into your calculation could cause you to make a serious med. error.

colleen10 · Jul 17, 2003

Ahhhhh I can't get them to line up.