IV Flow Rates are Killing Me

Nursing Students Student Assist

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I'm in my final year of nursing...have a 86% average.

However, that is plummeting like a rock - due to math :angryfire

I just can't get my head around IV flow calculations. I have many, many questions...but here is my most pressing one -

If a medication is added, is the volume of that med (50 - 100mL, I'm assuming) added into the total volume TBA? Or is it disregarded and the calculation is done without the med?

Dying to know.

Thanks!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

Get the book Dosage calculations made incredibily easy. This book may help you. ;)

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Is it worth it? It's kind of pricey, and I'm broke from the $74 my regular dosage calculation book cost ;)

BTW - Do you know the answer???

Anyone, anyone? Bueller?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

I too highly recommend the dosage calculations made incredibly easy book by Springhouse publishing.

It walks you through all calculations and gives practice questions at the end of each section.

If you dont want to spend that much, I recommend getting books from

www.half.com Its affiliated with Ebay-and its a very good site. You can find most of your nursing books for half price, if you dont mind them a little used, although most are fairly new.

I was always the worst at calculations, and now I am pretty good at them, and this books helps!

Good Luck! If you have specific questions post them, maybe I can help :)

-Meghan :nurse:

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.
I'm in my final year of nursing...have a 86% average.

However, that is plummeting like a rock - due to math :angryfire

I just can't get my head around IV flow calculations. I have many, many questions...but here is my most pressing one -

If a medication is added, is the volume of that med (50 - 100mL, I'm assuming) added into the total volume TBA? Or is it disregarded and the calculation is done without the med?

Dying to know.

Thanks!

Worthy, if it's something like an IVPB, then it's the 50 mL total in the piggyback (or 100 mL...whatever it's labeled)

If it's IVP, then you add the volume of the med to the volume of the diluent for the total to be infused.

Does this help??

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It's IVPB - say it's 50ml of whatever drug PB combined with 1000 mL whatever type of diluent.

When you are doing your calculation of how many mL's per minute, would you use the 1000 alone, or would it be 1050???

Does that make sense?

Many thanks! I'll look into getting that book.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Speaking only for my NUR 135 drug calc test, we had a problem just like that. The "correct" answer was to use the 1000 mL, I guess because in the "real world" meds come already mixed from the pharmacy??

I know so far in clinicals this semester, everything I've hung piggyback came already mixed.

Several students missed that question and kicked up quite a fuss. It doesn't seem fair to test knowledge based on "real world" experience before we actually HAVE SOME :p

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