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Lecture 7: IV Flow Rate and Infusion/Completion Times

This lecture discusses calculating IV flow rates and infusion times. Flow rate is the speed at which fluid infuses into a patient and is expressed in volume over time, either as drops per minute (gtt/min) for manual setups or milliliters per hour (mL/h) for electronic pumps. IV tubing comes in macrodrip or microdrip sizes, producing larger or smaller drops respectively, and the drop size determines how accurately the flow rate can be measured. Conversion factors are provided to calculate between different units of volume and time.

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16 views

Lecture 7: IV Flow Rate and Infusion/Completion Times

This lecture discusses calculating IV flow rates and infusion times. Flow rate is the speed at which fluid infuses into a patient and is expressed in volume over time, either as drops per minute (gtt/min) for manual setups or milliliters per hour (mL/h) for electronic pumps. IV tubing comes in macrodrip or microdrip sizes, producing larger or smaller drops respectively, and the drop size determines how accurately the flow rate can be measured. Conversion factors are provided to calculate between different units of volume and time.

Uploaded by

mozhdeh ahmadi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 7: IV Flow Rate and

Infusion/Completion Times
Calculating Flow Rates
In order to set up a IV, we need to know the flow rate; the flow rate is the speed at
which the fluid infuses into the patient, and it is expressed in volume over time. For a
manual IV setup, the flow rate is expressed in gtt/min, because we measure the rate
by counting the number of drops which fall in the drip chamber each minute. For an
IV setup on a volumetric pump or other electronic infusion device, we use the flow
rate measured in mL/h because we can type this amount into the device manually
without having to count drops in a drip chamber. Notice that both of these rates
measure volume over time.

We can convert between a flow rate measured in gtt/min and a flow rate measured in
mL/h. We already know how to convert between hours and minutes because we know
that 1 h = 60 min. We can also convert between drops and milliliters, because both of
these units measure volume, but we have to be careful, because drops come in many
different sizes. In fact, any medications which are measured in drops always come
with their own calibrated dropper, and the dropper from one medication cannot be
used to dose another medication because the drops indicated on the labels are
probably not going to be the same size. So, how do we measure the size of drops in an
IV setup?

IV Tubing Calibration

The size of a drop in an IV setup depends upon the width of the IV tubing: thinner
tubing produces smaller drops and wider tubing produces larger ones. IV tubing is
pretty standard, and so there are two major categories of IV tubing:

 Macrodrip tubing is wider and so produces larger drops. It is the tubing most
commonly used for routine IV administration, such as infusion of IV fluids that
do not contain sensitive medication.
Macrodrip tubing comes in 3 sizes: 10 gtt/mL, 15 gtt/mL, and 20 gtt/mL.
(Note: 10 gtt/mL, for example, means 10 gtt = 1mL.)
 Microdrip tubing is narrower and so produces smaller drops. It is used for
children and infants, or to infuse sensitive medications where precision in the
flow rate is essential.
Microdrip tubing (sometimes called minidrip) comes in only one size: 60
gtt/mL.
Notice that the smaller the drops, the more accurate the measurement of the
medication; if we are setting the rate on a manual IV setup by counting the number of
drops per minute, there is a certain amount of error introduced into the calculation -
for example, I will have to round off to the nearest whole drop, because I cannot count
partial drops. So, the smaller the drops, the less error is introduced when I round off to
the nearest whole drop.

Also note that the larger the drop, the fewer are needed to make a whole mL.

 Conversion Factors
 1 kg = 2.2 lb
 1 gallon = 4 quart
 1 tsp = 5 mL
 1 inch = 2.54 cm
 1 L = 1,000 mL
 1 kg = 1,000 g
 1 oz = 30 mL = 2 tbsp
 1 g = 1,000 mg
 1 mg = 1,000 mcg
 1 cm = 10 mm
 1 tbsp = 15 mL
 1 cup = 8 fl oz
 1 pint = 2 cups
 12 inches = 1 foot
 1 L = 1.057 qt
 1 lb = 16 oz
 1 tbsp = 3 tsp
 60 minute = 1 hour
 1 cc = 1 mL
 2 pints = 1 qt
 8 oz = 240 mL = 1 glass
 1 tsp = 60 gtt
 1 pt = 500 mL = 16 oz
 1 oz = 30 mL
 4 oz = 120 mL (Casey, 2018).

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