IV Infusion Calculation - Please HELP!

Nursing Students Student Assist

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I have been working on these problems for 3 hours now. The professors did not go over drops per minute calculations. Please help!

The label states to add 10ml sterile water for 1g of cefamandole for IV solutions

Order: cefamandole 500mg, IV, q6h

Set and solution: Calibrated cylinder with drop factor, 60 gtt/mL. 500ml of D5W.

Instruction: Dilute cefamdole 500mg reconstituted solution in 50 mL of D5W and infuse in 30 minutes. Determine gtt/min.

How do you think you solve it? If you can calculate the mL/min correctly, you only need to multiply by the gtt/mL to get the correct answer.

Thank you! I was focusing on the 200mg and that was throwing me off. I did 50mL/20min * 60gtt/1mL and canceled out mL and multiplied across and got 3000/20 and it reduced and to 150. So, my final answer was 150gtt/min.

You've got a typo in either the problem or your solution for the infusion time. Is it 20 or 30 minutes?

Also, check your total volume to be infused. Are you sure it's 50 mL total?

I see what I did. It is supposed to be 30 minutes. The 500mg would be equal to 5ml and I would add that to the solution of 50ml. So, my problem is 55ml/30min * 60gtt/1ml. Cancel out the ml and multiple across. That gives me 3300/30 and I reduce and get 110gtt/min.

Specializes in NICU, RNC.
I see what I did. It is supposed to be 30 minutes. The 500mg would be equal to 5ml and I would add that to the solution of 50ml. So, my problem is 55ml/30min * 60gtt/1ml. Cancel out the ml and multiple across. That gives me 3300/30 and I reduce and get 110gtt/min.

That is correct.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
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