Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Chapter 8 Calculation of Basic IV Drip Rates
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Types of Intravenous Fluids D5W = D5%W D5S = D5 %0.9NS D51/2NS = D5 %0.45NS NS = 0.9%NS ½NS = 0.45% NS
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Intravenous Drip Factors Microdrip = 60 gtt/mL Macrodrip need to check package –10 gtt/mL –15 gtt/mL –20 gtt/ml To calculate IV drip rates, must know this information
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Electric Infusion Pumps Volume for infusion Rate for infusion Turn pump on
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Intravenous Piggybacks on Electronic Infusion Pumps Secondary volume Secondary rate Turn pump on
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Calculating Basic IV Drip Rates Number of milliliters to infuse x tubing factor = drops per minute or gtt/min number of minutes to infuse When the order reads “hour,” convert to minutes by multiplying by 60 (60 minutes = 1 hour)
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Calculating IV Drips for Infusion Pump Total number of milliliters ordered = mL/hour Number of hours to run
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Question Order: 1000 mL D 5 W at 120 mL/hour Available macrodrip 15 gtt/mL What is the drip factor in drops per minute? A.30 B.31 C.32 D.33
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Answer A. 30 –120 mL × 15 gtt/mL = 30 gtt/min 60 minutes
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Determining Hours an IV Will Run Number of milliliters ordered = Number of hours to run Number of milliliters per hour
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Question How many hours will 500 mL of D5½NS run at 125 mL/hour? A.3 B.4 C.5 D.6
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Answer B. 4 –Number of milliliters ordered = Number of hours to run Number of milliliters per hour –500 mL = 4 hours 75 mL/hour
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Choosing the Infusion Set Microdrip –IV administered over a long period –Small amount of fluid to be infused –Macrodrops per minute too few Macrodrip –Order specifies a large amount of fluid over a short time –Microdrips per minute are too many, and counting the drip rate becomes too difficult
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Adding Medications to IVs Check diluent and volume Check dose and expiration date of reconstituted solution Note whether IVPB should be refrigerated before use and remain at room temperature Calculate the drip rate and record this information on IVPB label
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Reconstitution Device
Copyright © 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Enteral Nutrition Used when patient cannot eat or cannot eat enough Administered with a pump –Intermittent –Cyclic –Continuous