Instructor Papademas
Student Name Dominic Delos Reyes
Due Date
PROJECT Basic Drip Rates
Objective
100 Points _____ your score
To use MS Excel or MS Word to understand Basic Drip Rate Concepts.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Use MS Excel or MS Word to formulate your answers to each of the following.
If designated, enter any responses in the spaces provided below.
Information About This Project
This particular project focuses on drug reconstitution.
Steps to Complete This Project
On your computer, open a new MS Excel worksheet or an MS Word Document or place your answers into
this Word document. Enter your responses in the spaces provided on your worksheet or document. Save
your worksheet or your document! Submit the worksheet or document for credit.
Part A Basic Concepts
(1)
When is a macrodrip tubing factor used? Be specific. When is a microdrip tubing factor
used? Be specific.
You would use a macro drip tubing factor when there is a really dehydrated adult or
when not giving meds by IV drip, while you would use a micro drip tubing factor for newborns
and infants as well as for medications that require very small and precise dosages.
(2)
When an infusion pump is available, what two numbers does the nurse enter?
(a) Flowrate
(b) volume to be infused
(3)
What is the volume for a buretrol? What is the tubing factor for a buretrol?
The volume for a buretrol is 150 ml. The tubing factor for a buretrol is 60 gtt/ml.
(4)
What are the units for a drip rate ( or also known as drop rate ) ?
drops per min
(5)
When is a buretrol used?
Buretrols are used between the IV bag and the pump. They limit the amount of fluid
available to the pump, to prevent accidental fluid overload for whatever reason that may be.
(6)
Distinguish between a primary line and a secondary line for IV delivery.
A Primary line is used when infusing 1 or more fluids into the patient, while the
secondary line is used for “piggybacking” and infusing a intermittent fluid.
Part B Basic Drip Rate Calculations
Recall that if an infusion pump is available, the total volume ( in mL ) to be delivered is keyed in as well as
the delivery rate ( in mL / hr ) . There should be no need to calculate microdrip versus macrodrip.
If an infusion pump is not available, then the nurse must calculate drip rates if a microdrip infusion set ( a
small needle is present in the chamber ) is available or a macrodrip infusion set
( no needle is present in the chamber ) is available. Note: drip factor = drop factor.
The steps for calculation are:
(1)
Determine delivery rate in mL / hr.
Delivery rate = total volume to be infused ( in mL ) / ( run time in hr. )
(2)
Determine the drip factor ( or drop factor )
Delivery rate ( mL / hr ) × Tubing factor ( 10 or 15 or 20 gtt / mL ) = drip rate in gtt / min
60 min / hr
Using the above information, solve each of the following exercises.
(1)
A patient is to be given 850 ml of a drug over a 6-hour period at 20 drops/ml. What will
be the drip rate?
47.22 gtt/min
(2)
The doctor ordered an IV to be given from 8am to 5pm . What is the run time?
9 hours
(3)
Order: D5W 1000 mL q8h IV
___125___ mL / hr
What is the flow rate if there is an infusion pump?
(4)
Order: Infuse 500 mL packed RBC's within 4 hours.
____31.25____ gtt / min
Drop factor is 15 gtt / mL
(5)
Order: Infuse 1L D5W @ 125 mL / hr
Drop factor: 15 gtt / mL
gtt / min
How long is the run time? ____8 hours____
(6)
hour
Flow rate:
Flow rate: ____31.25___
Order: Vancomycin 1g q12 hours
Supply: Vancomycin 1 g in 250 mL D5W to be given over 1
Flow rate: ___250___ mL / hr on the PLUM infusion pump
(7)
Order: Tobramycin 60 mg IV in 60 mL D5W to be infused over one hour.
Buretrol is 60 gtt / mL
Flow rate __60__ gtt / min
Drop factor of the
(8)
At 0800 the patient has 600 mL IV solution infusing at 75 mL / hr . At what time do you
anticipate the IV bag will be empty?
at 1600 hours
(9)
Order: 1500 mL D5RL to run at 150 mL / hr
How long will this IV run? ___10 hours___
Drop factor 10 gtt / mL
Flow rate: __25__ gtt / min
(10) At 1130 hrs., your patient has 100 mL left in his IV bag. It is infusing at 30 gtt / min. Drop factor is
15 gtt / mL . Do you have enough IV solution left to go to and come from lunch ( 30 min ) now, without
changing the IV bag?
Yes because it will take 50 minutes to fully drain the IV bag since it has a delivery rate of
120ml/hr.