CRITICAL CARE MATH

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Help! I'm struggling with drip factor math. I have a medication 5g/200ml in D5W. Order is for 12mcg/min. Have to calculate gtts/min for micro drip system (60 gtt/mL). I keep coming up with these crazy numbers. Any suggestions

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Here's a little brief explanation with example from ATI.

Are you using the correct formula of (volume to be infused in mL)/(time in minutes) x drop factor?

However, you have a few things you need to do first to get the right numbers to plug into that equation. Can you show us how you are setting up the problem?

Edit: Okay, I did some number crunching. Are you giving the correct units in the problem in your original post? Because what I'm coming up with is absolutely impossible to count. I'm thinking the 5g/200mL is a typo or the 12mcg/min is a typo.

If it's 5mg/200mL, then it makes sense.

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Edit: Okay, I did some number crunching. Are you giving the correct units in the problem in your original post? Because what I'm coming up with is absolutely impossible to count. I'm thinking the 5g/200mL is a typo or the 12mcg/min is a typo.

If it's 5mg/200mL, then it makes sense.

SAME!! I was all "I got this girl!" and then I got weird numbers.

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