Evolve HESI Practice Exam

How many gtt/min should the flow rate be set for 1,000 ml of Ringer's Lactate with 30 Units of Pitocin over 4 hours using a 20 gtt/ml set?

1. 50 gtt/min

2. 67 gtt/min

3. 83 gtt/min

4. 100 gtt/min

The correct answer is: 83 gtt/min

To determine the flow rate in gtt/min for administering 1,000 ml of Ringer's Lactate with 30 Units of Pitocin over 4 hours using a 20 gtt/ml set, the total volume to be infused and the time must be accurately calculated. First, convert the infusion time from hours to minutes. Since the solution is to be infused over 4 hours, that amounts to 240 minutes (4 hours × 60 minutes/hour). Next, calculate the flow rate in ml/min by dividing the total volume (1,000 ml) by the total time in minutes (240 minutes): 1,000 ml ÷ 240 min = approximately 4.17 ml/min. Now, to convert ml/min to gtt/min using the drop factor of the IV set, multiply the flow rate by the drop factor: 4.17 ml/min × 20 gtt/ml = 83.33 gtt/min. Rounding this to the nearest whole number provides approximately 83 gtt/min. Therefore, setting the flow rate to 83 gtt/min would ensure that the infusion of the solution occurs at the correct rate, delivering the medication effectively within the desired timeframe.