Keflex 2.0 g in 100 mL of a 5% Dextrose solution is to be infused over 30 minutes. The IV tubing delivers 10 gtt/mL. What is the rate in gtt/min, rounded to the nearest whole number?

Keflex 2.0 g in 100 mL of a 5% Dextrose solution is to be infused over 30 minutes. The IV tubing delivers 10 gtt/mL. What is the rate in gtt/min, rounded to the nearest whole number?

• A. 30 gtt/min
• B. 32 gtt/min
• C. 33 gtt/min
• D. 35 gtt/min

Answer: (C)

The rate in drops per minute is found by multiplying the volume to be infused (in mL) by the drop factor (gtt/mL) and then dividing by the infusion time (in minutes). Here, 100 mL over 30 minutes gives 100/30 ≈ 3.33 mL/min. With a drip factor of 10 gtt/mL, this becomes 3.33 × 10 ≈ 33.33 gtt/min. Rounding to the nearest whole number gives 33 gtt/min. So the best answer is 33 gtt/min. If you compare other rates, 30 gtt/min would require 3.0 mL/min (90 mL in 30 minutes), and 35 gtt/min would require 3.5 mL/min (105 mL in 30 minutes), which don’t match the 100 mL infusion.

The rate in drops per minute is found by multiplying the volume to be infused (in mL) by the drop factor (gtt/mL) and then dividing by the infusion time (in minutes). Here, 100 mL over 30 minutes gives 100/30 ≈ 3.33 mL/min. With a drip factor of 10 gtt/mL, this becomes 3.33 × 10 ≈ 33.33 gtt/min. Rounding to the nearest whole number gives 33 gtt/min.

So the best answer is 33 gtt/min. If you compare other rates, 30 gtt/min would require 3.0 mL/min (90 mL in 30 minutes), and 35 gtt/min would require 3.5 mL/min (105 mL in 30 minutes), which don’t match the 100 mL infusion.