A patient is receiving 1000 mL of D5W over 4 hours. The tubing delivers 20 gtt/mL. What is the rate in gtt/min?

A patient is receiving 1000 mL of D5W over 4 hours. The tubing delivers 20 gtt/mL. What is the rate in gtt/min?

• A. 60 gtt/min
• B. 100 gtt/min
• C. 83 gtt/min
• D. 45 gtt/min

Answer: (C)

This question tests converting a prescribed IV volume over time into a drip rate using the tubing’s drop factor. To find drops per minute, first figure out how many milliliters pass each minute, then convert those milliliters to drops with the drip factor. Milliliters per minute: 1000 mL over 4 hours. Four hours is 240 minutes, so 1000 ÷ 240 ≈ 4.167 mL/min. Drops per minute: 4.167 mL/min × 20 drops/mL ≈ 83.3 drops/min. So the rate is about 83 gtt/min (rounding to the nearest whole drop).

This question tests converting a prescribed IV volume over time into a drip rate using the tubing’s drop factor. To find drops per minute, first figure out how many milliliters pass each minute, then convert those milliliters to drops with the drip factor.

Milliliters per minute: 1000 mL over 4 hours. Four hours is 240 minutes, so 1000 ÷ 240 ≈ 4.167 mL/min.

Drops per minute: 4.167 mL/min × 20 drops/mL ≈ 83.3 drops/min.

So the rate is about 83 gtt/min (rounding to the nearest whole drop).