Could anyone catch what I did wrong on this math problem?

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I took a med test but failed by 2 questions today. I'm wondering if someone could help me out.

I recall the question was asking about a medication that is supposed to run 200 mL over 1 hour and 20 minutes. Drip factor is 15 gtt/mL.

Basically, what I did was this:

200mL/hr x 15 gtt/mL

------------------

60 minutes

= 50 gtt/min

However, I noticed I missed the 20 minutes so I think this is what I should have got:

200mL/1.2 hr x 15 gtt/mL

------------------

60 minutes

=42 gtt/min

That 20 minutes made a big deal right there. Am I doing this correctly?

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You would do 200mL/80minutes x 15 = 37.5 gtt/min

It's always mL/time (in minutes) x drop factor

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Yikes, can't believe I didn't see that. Thanks!!

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Specializes in Pedi.

20 minutes is not 0.2 hr. There are 60 minutes in an hour so 20 minutes is 1/3 (or 0.3333) of an hour. But, as the above poster said, use your time in minutes from the beginning and you won't have to worry about that.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Not even close.

The formula is

Volume to be infused * Drip Factor of Tubing

Time in Minutes to Infuse Over

For your problem

200mL * 15drops/mL

80 minutes

= 37.5 drops/min and you round that up to 38 drops/min

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I took a med test but failed by 2 questions today. I'm wondering if someone could help me out.

I recall the question was asking about a medication that is supposed to run 200 mL over 1 hour and 20 minutes. Drip factor is 15 gtt/mL.

Basically, what I did was this:

200mL/hr x 15 gtt/mL

------------------

60 minutes

= 50 gtt/min

had you changed the 60 minutes to 80 mins, you would have had your answer right then and there.

try not to overthink it.

leslie

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