Gravity drip rate in gtt/min
Question
A client is prescribed ceftriaxone 1 g IV in 50 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride to infuse over 30 minutes by gravity because no pump is available. The tubing package states a drop factor of 20 gtt/mL. How many drops per minute should the nurse set? Round to the nearest whole number.
33 gtt/min
Typed answer in gtt/min, rounded to a whole number.
Answer
33 gtt/min
Rationale
The drop factor printed on the tubing package converts milliliters into drops, and the infusion time in minutes converts the total drops into a rate. The label directs that this antibiotic be infused over a defined period, so the nurse counts the drops in the drip chamber and adjusts the roller clamp until the rate matches. Drops cannot be fractions, so the final answer is a whole number.
Worked solution: gtt/min = 50 mL × 20 gtt/mL ÷ 30 min = 33 gtt/min.
Sources
Sources marked “Adapted from” are licensed under CC BY 4.0. We changed the material: its facts are rewritten into an original question, answer options and rationale. The original authors and publishers do not endorse SwipeExam.
- Ceftriaxone Sodium (ceftriaxone sodium) intramuscular, intravenous prescribing information, Sportpharm LLC
- Ceftriaxone (ceftriaxone) intravenous prescribing information, WG Critical Care, LLC
- Adapted from Open RN Nursing Skills, 2nd edition: Chapter 5 Math Calculations
- Ceftriaxone Sodium (ceftriaxone sodium) intramuscular, intravenous prescribing information, REMEDYREPACK INC.
- Adapted from Open RN Nursing Skills, 2nd edition: Chapter 23 IV Therapy Management
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