A patient is to receive 1.5 liters of fluid over 10 hours. The giving set delivers 20 drops per milliliter. What is the required drip rate in drops per minute?

A patient is to receive 1.5 liters of fluid over 10 hours. The giving set delivers 20 drops per milliliter. What is the required drip rate in drops per minute?

• A. 60 drops/min
• B. 50 drops/min
• C. 40 drops/min
• D. 70 drops/min

Answer: (B)

Translating the ordered volume and time into a per-minute flow is the key idea. First convert the total fluid to milliliters and divide by the time to get milliliters per hour: 1.5 liters equals 1500 mL, so 1500 mL over 10 hours is 150 mL per hour. Next, use the giving set’s drop factor to turn milliliters into drops per hour: 150 mL/hour × 20 drops/mL = 3000 drops per hour. Finally, convert to drops per minute by dividing by 60 minutes per hour: 3000 drops/hour ÷ 60 = 50 drops per minute. The required drip rate is 50 drops per minute.

Translating the ordered volume and time into a per-minute flow is the key idea. First convert the total fluid to milliliters and divide by the time to get milliliters per hour: 1.5 liters equals 1500 mL, so 1500 mL over 10 hours is 150 mL per hour. Next, use the giving set’s drop factor to turn milliliters into drops per hour: 150 mL/hour × 20 drops/mL = 3000 drops per hour. Finally, convert to drops per minute by dividing by 60 minutes per hour: 3000 drops/hour ÷ 60 = 50 drops per minute. The required drip rate is 50 drops per minute.