IV Calculations – Practice Questions
For question 1a & 1b.
Doctor’s Order: Run current IV fluids at 175 ml/hr for 2 hours.
Drip factor on IV tubing packaging is 15 gtt/ml.
1a. Fill in the key information?
Volume =
Time =
Drip factor of tubing =
1b. Calculate the drip rate.
2. The Doctor orders an IV Bolus of 500 ml NS stat to run over one hour.
Calculate the drip rate using a tubing set with a drop factor of 10 gtt/ml.
3. The Doctor orders an IV Bolus of 500 ml NS to run over 4 hours.
Calculate the drip rate using a tubing set with a drop factor of 15 gtt/ml.
4. The Doctor orders an IV bolus of 100 ml of D5W to run over 30 minutes.
Calculate the drip rate using a tubing set with a drop factor of 15 gtt/ml.
5. The Doctor orders a patient to receive 100 mg of Cyclosporine IV in 100 ml of D5W over four (4) hours. The rate of administration is 25 mg/hr. Calculate the drip rate using a macro drip tubing set.
Using a 10gtt/min drop factor:
Using a 15gtt/min drop factor:
6. Doctors order is 100 ml D5W per hour. You are working a 12 hour shift. It is an expectation that the patient receives the required dosage of IV D5W per shift.
At 0700, you begin your shift by hanging a new 1000 ml D5W IV bag and checking that the drip rate is correct on your infusion by gravity IV. At your 1200 hr assessment, the IV bag has 600 ml to be absorbed (TBA).
Determine if your IV infusion is ahead or behind. Recalculate the new hourly infusion rate and the new IV drip rate when using a tubing set with a 15 gtt/ml drop factor.
7. Your doctor’s order reads 500 mL Ringers Lactate to infuse in 8 hr.
The tubing is macro drip (15 gtt/mL). What is the drip rate? What is hourly rate?
8. An IV of NS has been ordered to infuse at 150 mL/hr.
The tubing is macro drip (10 gtt/mL). At 0900 hrs the IV has 900 mL TBA.
What time will this bag be completely empty?
9. The doctor’s order reads 1000 mL D5W over each 8 hour shift. Morning report states that at 0700 hrs your client’s IV has 1000 mL TBA. At 1100 hr you note 600 mL TBA in this client’s IV. The tubing is macro drip (10 gtt/mL) and the rate is currently set at 21 gtts/min. Please readjust the IV drip rate so that the IV will be on schedule until the end of the shift (1500 hrs).
10. The patient is to receive NS IV 125 ml/hr. At the 1500 shift report, the IV infusion has 875 ml TBA. At your 1800 hr assessment, the IV has 400 ml TBA. Determine if you infusion is ahead or behind. Recalculate the new hourly infusion rate and the new IV drip rate when using a tubing set with a 10 gtt/ml drop factor.
11. You have an adult who is to receive a maintenance dosage of Cyclosporine post organ transplantation. The CPS indicates that the patient is to receive 2.5mg/kg/day divided into two doses. The patient weighs 294 lbs. Calculate the correct amount of the patient is to receive for one dose.
12. You are taking care of a 4 year old child 38 lbs who is now stable after an acute asthma attack and is now receiving Prednisone by mouth. The CPS states that the dosage for children is 0.1 – 0.15 mg/kg/day in three divided doses. Calculate the minimum AND maximum amount of medication the patient should receive for one dose.
13. You have a child with a congenital heart defect who you are caring for in their home. The patient is to receive Furosemide po 1-2 mg/kg q 6 hours. Give the daily minimum AND maximum dosage amount this child can receive. This child weighs 27 lbs.
14. Your patient is a 14 year old boy who is to receive Dexamethasone po
0.08 – 0.3 mg/kg/day divided q 6 hours. Calculate the minimum and maximum dosage the patient is to receive for one dose. Patient’s weight is 28 lbs.
15. The pediatrician orders 61 mg Cefprozil suspension for a 13-month old infant for a respiratory infection. The suspension is available as 125mg/5ml. How much Cefprozil should the client’s mother give the child?
16. Order: Dilantin 50 mg po. TID. Stock available is Dilantin 125 mg/5ml. How much Dilantin should you give for one dose?
17. Order: Keflex 500 mg po. BID. Stock available is Keflex 1 gm per tablet. How much should you give for one dose?
18. Order: Digoxin 0.25 mg po od. Stock available is 0.125 mg per tablet. How much should you give for one dose?
19. Order: Dexamethasone 1mg po bid. Stock is Dexamethasone 0.5 mg per tablet. How much should you give for one dose?
20. Order: Phenobarbital 60 mg po od. Stock available is Phenobarbital 15 mg per tablet. How much should you give for one dose?
21. Order: Ampicillin 0.5 gm po od. Stock available is Ampicillin 25 mg/5ml. How much should you give for one dose?
22. Order: Solu-Medrol 75 mg IM od. Stock available is Solu-Medrol 125 mg/2ml. How much should you give for one dose?
For the following questions, briefly describe the medication and how to take it as if you were talking to a patient.
23. For a patient older than 12 yrs: Take Gabapentin po: 300 mg on day 1; 300 mg bid on day 2; 300 mg tid on day 3; increase to 400 mg tid. On day 4 (1200mg/d) and maintain dose going forward until next scheduled appointment.
24. A patient is advised to initiate a Prednisone tapering schedule at home for 12 days with 10 mg tablets (10 mg = 1 tablet). The current dose is 60 mg/day. Decrease the dose by 10 mg/day every two days until reaching a daily dose of 10 mg/day.
25. Doctor’s order: Metoclopramide 10-15 mg po qid ac and hs.
26. Methscopolamine Bromide 2.5 mg (1 tablet) – 5mg (2 tablets) po 30 min ac and hs.
27. Methotrexate 2.5 mg po every other day for 3 doses each week for a max of 7.5 mg per wk.