Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 75%
Simulated
A nurse is preparing to infuse a 250-mL unit of packed RBCs over 2 hr. The drop factor of the manual IV tubing is I5 gtts/mL. The nurse should adjust the flow rate to deliver how many drops per minute? (Round the answer to the nearest whole number. Use a leading zero if it applies. Do not use a trailing zero.)
Correct answer
A
Rationale
To determine the flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min), we can use the formula: Flow rate (gtt/min) = (Volume to be infused in gtts / Time for infusion in minutes). Given: Volume = 250 mL, Time = 2 hours = 120 minutes, Drop factor = 15 gtts/mL.
Step 1: Calculate total drops in 250 mL: 250 mL * 15 gtts/mL = 3750 gtts.
Step 2: Calculate the flow rate: 3750 gtts / 120 min = 31.25 gtt/min. Rounding to the nearest whole number gives 31 gtt/min.
Therefore, the correct answer is A: 31 gtt/min, as it accurately represents the flow rate required to infuse the packed RBCs over 2 hours. Other choices are incorrect as they do not provide the precise calculation based on the given parameters.
Step 1: Calculate total drops in 250 mL: 250 mL * 15 gtts/mL = 3750 gtts.
Step 2: Calculate the flow rate: 3750 gtts / 120 min = 31.25 gtt/min. Rounding to the nearest whole number gives 31 gtt/min.
Therefore, the correct answer is A: 31 gtt/min, as it accurately represents the flow rate required to infuse the packed RBCs over 2 hours. Other choices are incorrect as they do not provide the precise calculation based on the given parameters.