A physician orders a nitroglycerin drip at 50 mcg/min for a patient who weighs 145 pounds. The premixed solution contains 50 mg nitroglycerin in 250 mL. The IV tubing is 60 gtts/mL. What is the correct drip rate in gtts/min?

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Multiple Choice

A physician orders a nitroglycerin drip at 50 mcg/min for a patient who weighs 145 pounds. The premixed solution contains 50 mg nitroglycerin in 250 mL. The IV tubing is 60 gtts/mL. What is the correct drip rate in gtts/min?

When you convert a prescribed dose rate to a IV drip rate, start with the solution’s concentration. 50 mg in 250 mL equals 50,000 mcg in 250 mL, which is 200 mcg per mL. Delivering 50 mcg each minute requires 50/200 = 0.25 mL per minute. With a tubing drop factor of 60 gtts per mL, that’s 0.25 × 60 = 15 gtts per minute. The patient’s weight isn’t needed for this calculation. Therefore, 15 gtts/min.

When you convert a prescribed dose rate to a IV drip rate, start with the solution’s concentration. 50 mg in 250 mL equals 50,000 mcg in 250 mL, which is 200 mcg per mL. Delivering 50 mcg each minute requires 50/200 = 0.25 mL per minute. With a tubing drop factor of 60 gtts per mL, that’s 0.25 × 60 = 15 gtts per minute. The patient’s weight isn’t needed for this calculation. Therefore, 15 gtts/min.

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