A giving set delivers 20 drops/mL. What is the required drip rate, in drops per minute, to infuse 750 mL over 9 hours?

A giving set delivers 20 drops/mL. What is the required drip rate, in drops per minute, to infuse 750 mL over 9 hours?

• A. 28 gtt/min
• B. 24 gtt/min
• C. 30 gtt/min
• D. 26 gtt/min

Answer: (A)

To find the drip rate, use the formula: drip rate (drops/min) = (volume to infuse in mL × drip factor in drops/mL) ÷ (time in minutes). With 750 mL and a giving set of 20 drops per mL, total drops needed = 750 × 20 = 15,000 drops. The infusion time is 9 hours, which is 9 × 60 = 540 minutes. So the rate = 15,000 ÷ 540 ≈ 27.78 drops/min, which rounds to 28 drops per minute. So the required drip rate is about 28 drops per minute. (Rounding to a whole drop per minute is standard; 28 drops/min delivers a little more than 750 mL, while 27 would be further off.)

To find the drip rate, use the formula: drip rate (drops/min) = (volume to infuse in mL × drip factor in drops/mL) ÷ (time in minutes).

With 750 mL and a giving set of 20 drops per mL, total drops needed = 750 × 20 = 15,000 drops. The infusion time is 9 hours, which is 9 × 60 = 540 minutes. So the rate = 15,000 ÷ 540 ≈ 27.78 drops/min, which rounds to 28 drops per minute.

So the required drip rate is about 28 drops per minute. (Rounding to a whole drop per minute is standard; 28 drops/min delivers a little more than 750 mL, while 27 would be further off.)