Examples · IV drip rate (gtt/min)
Worked example
IV drip rate (gtt/min) - practice problem 13
An order reads: infuse 50 mL of 0.9% normal saline over 1 hour by gravity. The tubing drop factor is 10 gtt/mL.
Volume50 mL
Time1 hr
Drop factor10 gtt/mL
What is the drip rate in gtt/min?
Answer: 8 gtt/min
Step-by-step solution
1. Start from the flow rate and multiply by the drop factor
( 50 mL ÷ 60 min ) × ( 10 gtt ÷ 1 mL )
2. Cancel mL and solve
= ( 50 × 10 ) ÷ 60 gtt/min
= 8.33 gtt/min
3. Round to whole drops (you cannot count part of a drop)
8.33 gtt/min ≈ 8 gtt/min
= 8 gtt/min
More iv drip rate (gtt/min) examples