Test Yourself Answers

Below are the answers to the problems on the previous page.

  1. Give 1 liter of NS IV in 5 hours. The IV set is a regular 15 drop set.

    1000 ml X 15 gtts/ml = 50 gtts/minute
    300 minutes        

  2. Give 1 unit (250 ml’s) of packed red cells IV within 4 hours. The blood set delivers 10 gtts/ml.

    250 ml X 10 gtts/ml = 10.41 gtts or 10 gtts/minute
    240 minutes       (the fraction is not rounded up)

  3. Give 1000 ml D5W to keep vein open over the next 24 hours. The set to be used delivers 60 drops/ml.

    1000 ml X 60 gtts/ml = 41.66 gtts or 42 gtts/minute
    1440 minutes       (the fraction is rounded up)

  4. Give 150 ml of Normal Saline over 4 hours. The micro drip set delivers 60 gtts/ml.

    150 ml X 37.5 gtts/ml = 38 gtts/minute
    240 minutes       (the fraction is rounded up)

  5. Give 4000 ml of D5W over 24 hours. The IV set package reads 20gtts/ml.

    4000 ml X 20 gtts/ml = 55.55 gtts or 56 gtts/minute
    1440 minutes       (the fraction is rounded up)

  6. Give 3000 ml of D1/2 NS over 16 hours. The macro drip set delivers 15 gtts/ml.

    3000 ml X 15 gtts/ml = 46.87 gtts or 47 gtts/minute
    960 minutes       (the fraction is rounded up)

  7. Give 3000 ml of D5W over 24 hours. The IV set delivers 15 gtts/ml.

    3000 ml X 15 gtts/ml = 31.24 gtts or 31 gtts/minute
    1440 minutes       (the fraction is not rounded up)

  8. Give 100 ml of Ringer’s Lactate in 1 hour. The micro drip set delivers 60gtt/ml.

    X 60 drops = 100 ml X 60 gtts/ml = 100 gtts/minute
        60 minutes        

These examples are pretty simple to calculate, as easy as A B C.

A. As you see, the amount of fluid is always stated as the amount ordered. There is no need to calculate or change anything.
B. The time the solution is to run is calculated each time and the number of hours it is to run is multiplied by 60 – the number of minutes in one hour.
C. The number of drops per ml is stated in each problem in the type of IV set used – again – nothing to calculate or change.

Did you get the answers right? If not, go back and redo the problems. Compare your work the first time with the second time and with the explanations.

The most important thing, however is to learn a formula and always calculate the problem with the same steps. Learn the formula and plug in the facts as given in the medication order.