A D5W IV infusion of 1000 mL is to run over 24 hours with a drop factor of 60 gtt/mL. What is the correct flow rate in drops per minute?

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Multiple Choice

A D5W IV infusion of 1000 mL is to run over 24 hours with a drop factor of 60 gtt/mL. What is the correct flow rate in drops per minute?

Explanation:
The main idea is to convert the entire setup into a drops-per-minute rate using the formula: flow rate (gtt/min) = (volume in mL × drop factor in gtt/mL) ÷ (time in minutes). First convert the time: 24 hours × 60 minutes/hour = 1440 minutes. Then compute the total drops: 1000 mL × 60 gtt/mL = 60,000 drops. Now divide by the time: 60,000 ÷ 1440 ≈ 41.67 gtt/min. Since IV rates are typically given in whole drops per minute, round to the nearest drop: about 42 gtt/min. So the flow rate is approximately 42 gtt/min.

The main idea is to convert the entire setup into a drops-per-minute rate using the formula: flow rate (gtt/min) = (volume in mL × drop factor in gtt/mL) ÷ (time in minutes).

First convert the time: 24 hours × 60 minutes/hour = 1440 minutes. Then compute the total drops: 1000 mL × 60 gtt/mL = 60,000 drops. Now divide by the time: 60,000 ÷ 1440 ≈ 41.67 gtt/min. Since IV rates are typically given in whole drops per minute, round to the nearest drop: about 42 gtt/min.

So the flow rate is approximately 42 gtt/min.

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