A patient requires 200 mL of normal saline to be infused in 25 minutes. If the IV set is 15 gtt/mL, what is the drip rate in drops per minute?

A patient requires 200 mL of normal saline to be infused in 25 minutes. If the IV set is 15 gtt/mL, what is the drip rate in drops per minute?

• A. 100 gtt/min
• B. 140 gtt/min
• C. 120 gtt/min
• D. 150 gtt/min

Answer: (C)

The key idea is converting the infusion into drops per minute by using the drip factor. First find how many milliliters flow each minute: 200 mL divided by 25 minutes equals 8 mL per minute. Then convert those milliliters to drops using the drip factor: 8 mL/min × 15 gtt/mL equals 120 gtt per minute. So the required drip rate is 120 drops per minute.

The key idea is converting the infusion into drops per minute by using the drip factor. First find how many milliliters flow each minute: 200 mL divided by 25 minutes equals 8 mL per minute. Then convert those milliliters to drops using the drip factor: 8 mL/min × 15 gtt/mL equals 120 gtt per minute. So the required drip rate is 120 drops per minute.