If a patient receives 15 gtt/min from an IV, how much fluid will they receive in 1 hour with a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL?

To determine how much fluid the patient will receive in one hour, it is essential to first convert the flow rate from drops per minute to milliliters per hour, using the given drop factor.

The patient is receiving 15 drops per minute, and the drop factor is 15 drops per milliliter. To convert the drops into milliliters, you can use the following formula:

1. Calculate the flow rate in milliliters per minute:

• Flow Rate (mL/min) = Drops/min / Drops/mL

• Flow Rate (mL/min) = 15 gtt/min / 15 gtt/mL = 1 mL/min

2. Next, calculate the amount of fluid received in one hour:

• Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, multiply the flow rate in mL/min by 60 minutes:

• Total fluid for 1 hour = 1 mL/min * 60 min = 60 mL

3. Lastly, to find the total for an hour, you scale it up:

• 1 mL/min * 60 min gives you a total of 60, but it’s key to recognize that you need to consider total drops in