IV drips question

[NoeIssa]

Hello, Im in currently in NS, and I had to hang a IV of Zosyn, and my teacher told me to do it as a drops/min. I was wondering are there certain drugs that can only be drops/min. Thanks so much.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I'm confused. Was it running on a pump?

Our Zosyn is generally in 100 ml bags, that get ran at 200 ml/hr.

[Tom123]

All IVs are gtts/min. I know we use a pump and schedule it to go over X number of minutes, hours, etc. But, when you boil it down iit all comes up as gtts/min.

I know you are asking about other drugs, but are you having a problem with calculating gtts/min?

[EMTSNA]

If you are not using a pump, then you must calculate gtt/minute in order to infuse a given amount of volume over a given time. For example 3.375 grams of zosyn in 100ml of fluid can be run over a half hour using microdrip tubing with a drop rate of 60gtt per ml. Calculate (60 x 200)/60 to run 200gtt/min or 200ml/hr.

Or if you are using tubing with a gtt rate of 15gtt/ml. Calculate (15 x 200)/60 =50gtt/minute in order to infuse 200ml/hr, either way the goal is to infuse a volume of medication over time. If I am worried that the medication might be dangerous, it is safer to use a pump.

Take Care

[NoeIssa]

Thanks, no we did not use a pump, the amount was 50ml/30 min, the drip factor was 20gtt/ml. So it was 33 gtts/min. But there was no IV fluids running. So could this have been on a pump?

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

All IVs are gtts/min. I know we use a pump and schedule it to go over X number of minutes, hours, etc. But, when you boil it down iit all comes up as gtts/min.

I know you are asking about other drugs, but are you having a problem with calculating gtts/min?

This will depend on the pump! Yes, the old IVAC pumps (with the electric eye thing that clamped on the drip chamber) did operate on gtts/min.

However, volumetric pumps.....they don't know what a drop is! They are calculated as mL/hr flow rate.

[NeosynephRN]

Thanks, no we did not use a pump, the amount was 50ml/30 min, the drip factor was 20gtt/ml. So it was 33 gtts/min. But there was no IV fluids running. So could this have been on a pump?

We run EVERYTHING on a pump...it is policy! Which of course makes life a bit easier! BTW we now hang Zosyn over 4 hours...yes that 100ml over 4 hours. We have gotten lit that says it is more effective.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We run EVERYTHING on a pump...it is policy! Which of course makes life a bit easier! BTW we now hang Zosyn over 4 hours...yes that 100ml over 4 hours. We have gotten lit that says it is more effective.

Our patients typically get Zosyn q6h. If you're running it over 4 hours, they're practically getting it continuously. How do you have time to run anything else?