Your patient is a 46-year-old with a history of pancreatitis. He has had abdominal pain and vomiting for 24 hours. The ED physician requests that you initiate an IV for rehydration. You will be using a 15 drops/mL infusion set to administer 250 mL of 5 percent dextrose in 0.9 percent NS per hour. What drip rate (at drops/minute) is needed to deliver the fluids at this rate?
A) 41
B) 63
C) 75
D) 100

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To calculate the drip rate, first convert the mL/hour to drops/minute using the following formula: 
drops/minute = mL/hour x drop factor / 60

For this particular patient, the formula would be: 
drops/minute = 250 mL/hour x 15 drops/mL / 60 = 62.5 drops/minute

Rounding up to the nearest whole number, the correct answer is 63 drops/minute (Choice B).

Your Patient Is a 46-Year-Old with a History of Pancreatitis