1. Chapter 13
Objectives
Calculate intravenous flow rate, time, and volume
Calculate amount infused versus amount remaining to be infused
Use the language that is used for intravenous infusion
1:1000mL

2. The Basics of Intravenous Fluid Administration
Unit 13

3. Page 267
Overview
Intravenous (IV) fluids and medications are solutions that are placed directly into the blood stream via a vein. This is called infusion.
Because intravenous medications and solutions have a very quick effect, they are used for critical care situations when a patient needs medication immediately.
An IV medication may be prepared by a physician, nurse, pharmacist, or a pharmacy technician.
Moderate to large doses of fluids or medications are given this way.
IV solutions are also used to maintain and to replace fluids, to keep a vein open for further treatment, and provide therapy.

4. Overview (Cont’d) Page 267 Drops per milliliter gtts/mL
The following are the common abbreviations used in IV administration:
Term
Abbreviation
Intravenous IV
Piggy-back PB
Drop/drops
gtt/gtts
Hour hr
Minutes
min
Drops per minute
gtts/min
Drops per milliliter
gtts/mL
Milliliters per hour
mL/hr

5. Overview (Cont’d) Page 267 Water H2O, W 5% dextrose water D5W
The following are the common abbreviations used in IV administration:
Term
Abbreviation
Water
H2O, W
5% dextrose water
D5W
10% dextrose water
D10W
Normal saline (0.9%) NS
One half normal saline (0.45%)
½ NS
Ringer's lactate solution RL
Lactated Ringer's solution LR

6. Page 269
IV Infusion Set
An IV infusion set is used to administer fluids and medications and has several parts:
a sealed plastic bag or a bottle
a drip chamber
tubing
a needle or catheter at the insertion site
Infusion or flow rates are adjusted to the desired drops per minute by a clamp on the tubing. The infusion set tracks the numbers of drops being delivered.
It should be noted that the larger the tubing, the larger the drop.
There are manual and electronic infusion pumps are in use today
the electronic machines have a controller that measures the drops or volume for a preset flow rate – so less calculations are needed but you still have to monitor the equipment to be sure it is working correctly.

7. Pages 269 – 270
IV Infusion Set
To calculate the flow rate, you must know the administration set’s drop factor. In general, the following drip rates are used:
microdrip administration = 60 drops per milliliter
standard/macrodrip administration = 10, 15 or 20 drops per milliliter
blood administration = 10 drops per milliliter
These are called drop factors.

8. IV Infusion Set Page 269 Microdrip administration
To calculate the flow rate, you must know the administration set’s drop factor. Larger, macrodrip tubing administers a larger drop and may be used for 10 drops per milliliter, 15 drops per milliliter, or 20 drops per milliliter.
Microdrip administration
Standard administration/ macrodrip administration
Blood administration
= 60 drops per milliliter
= 10, 15, or 20 drops/mL
= 10 drops per milliliter

9. Calculating IV Infusion Rates with a Formula
Page 270
Calculating IV Infusion Rates with a Formula
To calculate VI infusion rates with a formula
Amount of fluid in milliliters (mL)
Total time of infusion in minutes
Administration set drop factor x
Examples – page – practice 1-2: odds
Group Work – page – practice 1-2: evens
= Drops per minute

10. Pages 273 – 274
Modified Setup
To find the mL/hr, use this basic formula: V t = F
Examples – page – practice 3: odds
Group Work – page – practice 3: evens
t = specific time in hours
V = volume in milliliters (mL)
F = flow rate in milliliters per hour to the nearest whole number

11. Infusion Duration Pages 275 – 276
What happens when the time is not given? V F = t
Examples – page – practice 4: odds
Group Work – page – practice 4: evens
t = specific time in hours
V = volume in milliliters (mL)
F = flow rate in milliliters per hour to the nearest whole number

12. Calculating Total Volume
Pages 277 – 278
Calculating Total Volume
What happens when the volume is not given?
t x F = V
Examples – page 278 – practice 5: odds
Group Work – page 278 – practice 5: evens
t = specific time in hours
V = volume in milliliters (mL)
F = flow rate in milliliters per hour to the nearest whole number