flow rate question

Published

I am currently doing IV Therapy and it is going ok I just was unsure about a calculation and was wondering if someone could check my work and explain it.

Here is the problem:

What is the number of drops per min you will need to infuse 100cc of chemo over 2 hrs?

I came up with 50gtt/min because I thought like with peds you would use a microdrip with chemo as well. Is this correct and if not please explain

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If you are using a drop factor of 60 gtt/1mL that would be correct...but I do not know if you should use a micro or macro drip on that med...we haven't gone over that yet.

100mL/120 min X 60gtt/1mL = 50 gtt/min

~J

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

interesting question as there are many possible answers because they have left out one of the elements to determine drip rate and that is the drip factor of the tubing you will be using. just reading what you wrote i would assume that they are looking for all possible answers. a chemo drug could be mixed in a 100cc piggyback bag. it could also be a 1000cc bag with a chemo drug mixed in it. i don't know of any specific chemo drug that is given specifically with a micro drip (pedi drip), but i'm not that up to date on administering chemo so i could be wrong.

so, 100cc of fluid administered over 2 hours gives you a figure of 50cc/hr

10gtt/min tubing--> 8.3 gtts/min (or rounded to 8gtts/min)

15gtt/min tubing--> 12.5gtts/min (or rounded up to 13gtts/min)

20gtt/min tubing--> 16.6gtt/min (or rounded up to 17gtts/min)

60gtt/min tubing--> 50gtt/min

on an iv pump-->merely set the pump for 50cc/hr.

if you are talking about choice of tubing:

first, go for an iv pump

secondly, for a piggyback with whatever piggyback tubing you have

third, a mini-infusion pump

fourth, if non of the above are available i would use a burette tubing with a mini drip (60gtts/min)

those four methods are the best way to control the amount of fluid you are giving.

here are some web sites to help you with iv drip calculations?

http://classes.kumc.edu/general/ivpump/ivsimulation.html -- a cool interactive iv pump simulator with several infusion rate questions to answer as you program this pump!

http://www.accd.edu/sac/nursing/math/mathindex2.html - basic tutorial on getting started with pharmacology math. at the bottom of this home page is a drop down box where you link into any of the following subjects: common conversion factors/equivalencies, common abbreviations, ratio and proportion, iv problems, titration problems, and pediatric pharmacology math

http://home.sc.rr.com/nurdosagecal/ - med calc for nurses from central carolina technical college. explanations and quizzes (with answers) on the following subjects: measurements, conversions, oral dosages, parenteral dosages, iv flow rates, dose by weight, iv push meds, critical care iv's and tube feeding.

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/valley/3049/iv/clcltns.html - a quiz of 8 iv calculations with pictures and answers

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion