Guide to Calculating I.V. Drip Rates

If any nurses on your floor are expected to deliver and titrate I.V. drugs, this resource should prove beneficial.  Take the angst and qualm out of calculating I.V. drip rates with these simplified equations from Ira Grene Reynolds, BSN, RN, PCCN-CMC in American Nurse Today.

As Reynolds writes, "Although many I.V. infusion pumps calculate drip rates automatically, these rates must be double-checked to ensure patient safety…If you feel uneasy when performing these critical tasks, you’re not alone.  To boost your confidence, this article presents simplified equations to help you breeze through selected I.V. drip rates calculations."

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Source: Ira Gene Reynolds, BSN, RN, PCCN-CMC, "Calculating I.V. Drip Rates With Confidence," American Nurse Today. October 2006: Vol 1, No 1.