Calculating IV Flow Rates: Master IV Fluid Administration

Question 1

Which IV solution is hypertonic and commonly used in resuscitation?

Accepted Answer

3% sodium chloride (hypertonic saline)

Answer

Normal saline (0.9% NaCl)

Answer

5% dextrose in water (D5W)

Answer

Lactated Ringer's solution

Question 2

Which of the following factors does NOT influence IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Patient's weight

Answer

Medication dosage

Answer

IV solution volume

Question 3

What is the purpose of using a flow regulator?

Accepted Answer

To adjust the flow rate of the IV solution

Answer

To prevent air bubbles from entering the IV line

Answer

To connect the IV bag to the patient

Answer

To filter out impurities from the IV solution

Question 4

Which of the following is a potential complication of IV therapy?

Accepted Answer

Infiltration

Answer

Hyperventilation

Answer

Hypothermia

Answer

Anaphylaxis

Question 5

When calculating IV flow rates, it is important to:

Accepted Answer

Consider patient factors, medication dosage, and IV solution volume

Answer

Use only the drop factor

Answer

Estimate the flow rate based on the patient's age

Question 6

A patient is receiving an IV infusion of 100 mL/hr. How long will it take to infuse 500 mL of solution?

Accepted Answer

5 hours

Answer

7 hours

Answer

3 hours

Question 7

Which device offers the most precise control over IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

IV pump

Answer

Burette

Answer

Syringe

Answer

Volumetric chamber

Question 8

What is the primary purpose of using a burette in IV therapy?

Accepted Answer

Precise administration of small fluid volumes

Answer

Administering medications intravenously

Answer

Measuring large volumes of fluids

Question 9

Which of the following is a potential risk associated with incorrect IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Fluid overload or dehydration

Answer

Anaphylaxis

Answer

Hypertension

Answer

Allergic reaction

Question 10

What is a key role of a pharmacy technician in IV therapy?

Accepted Answer

Calculating accurate flow rates and ensuring safe medication administration

Answer

Monitoring patient vital signs

Answer

Prescribing medications

Question 11

Which of the following practices is essential for safe and effective IV administration?

Accepted Answer

Using aseptic technique

Answer

Relying solely on IV pumps

Answer

Ignoring expiration dates of IV fluids

Answer

Leaving IV bags unattended

Question 12

What is the purpose of using a buretrol in an IV administration set?

Accepted Answer

To regulate the flow rate of the IV infusion

Answer

To filter impurities from the IV fluid

Answer

To connect the IV bag to the patient's IV line

Answer

To prevent air embolism

Question 13

What is the potential complication of an IV infusion that occurs when fluid extravasates into the surrounding tissue?

Accepted Answer

Infiltration

Answer

Hemolysis

Answer

Anaphylaxis

Answer

Embolism

Question 14

Which of the following is an essential step in preparing an IV bag for administration?

Accepted Answer

Priming the IV tubing

Answer

Documenting the IV start time

Answer

Calculating the patient's fluid balance

Answer

Checking the patient's vital signs

Question 15

The formula for calculating flow rate in mL/hr is:

Accepted Answer

Flow rate = Medication Dosage (mg) / (Concentration (mg/mL) x Infusion Time (hr)) x 1000

Answer

Flow rate = Infusion Time (hr) / (Medication Dosage (mg) x Concentration (mg/mL)) x 1000

Answer

Flow rate = Concentration (mg/mL) / (Medication Dosage (mg) x Infusion Time (hr)) x 1000

Question 16

Which of the following devices is used to accurately monitor the flow rate of an IV infusion?

Accepted Answer

Buretrol

Answer

Sphygmomanometer

Answer

Stethoscope

Answer

Thermometer

Question 17

Explain the purpose of priming an IV tubing set.

Accepted Answer

To remove air from the tubing

Answer

To check for leaks in the tubing

Answer

To introduce the medication into the tubing

Answer

To calibrate the flow rate

Question 18

A patient is prescribed 1000 mL of IV fluids to be administered over 24 hours. What is the flow rate in mL/hr?

Accepted Answer

41.7

Answer

100

Answer

25

Answer

50

Question 19

A patient weighing 50 kg is prescribed a fluid restriction of 1500 mL/day. What is the maximum flow rate in mL/hr?

Accepted Answer

62.5

Answer

100

Answer

50

Answer

25

Question 20

Which of the following factors is NOT typically considered when calculating an IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Patient's age

Answer

Medication dosage

Answer

Patient's weight

Answer

IV solution volume

Question 21

A patient is receiving a continuous IV infusion of 1000 mL of normal saline over 12 hours. The nurse needs to adjust the IV flow rate to 150 mL/hr.  Assuming a standard drop factor of 15 drops/mL, what is the new drop rate per minute?

Accepted Answer

37.5

Answer

15

Answer

50

Answer

25

Question 22

Which of the following is the most accurate method for measuring IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Using an IV pump

Answer

Estimating based on patient's condition

Answer

Counting drops per minute

Answer

Using a graduated cylinder

Question 23

A doctor prescribes 1 liter (1000 mL) of 0.9% sodium chloride (NaCl) to be infused over 8 hours. What is the appropriate flow rate in milliliters per hour (mL/hr)?

Accepted Answer

125 mL/hr

Answer

100 mL/hr

Answer

83.3 mL/hr

Answer

80 mL/hr

Question 24

A patient needs to receive 500 mL of D5W (5% dextrose in water) over 4 hours. The IV tubing has a drop factor of 15 drops per milliliter (gtt/mL). What is the flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min)?

Accepted Answer

31 gtt/min

Answer

750 gtt/min

Answer

125 gtt/min

Answer

1875 gtt/min

Question 25

A patient is to receive Dopamine at a rate of 5 micrograms per kilogram per minute (mcg/kg/min). The patient weighs 180 pounds. The Dopamine solution is available as 400 milligrams (mg) in 250 mL of D5W. Calculate the flow rate in mL/hr.

Accepted Answer

10.2 mL/hr

Answer

81.8 mL/hr

Answer

40.9 mL/hr

Answer

20.4 mL/hr

Question 26

A medication is to be infused at a rate of 20 mg per hour (mg/hr). The pharmacy provides the medication in a 250 mL bag containing 1 gram (1000 mg) of the medication. What should the IV pump be set to in mL/hr?

Accepted Answer

50 mL/hr

Answer

25 mL/hr

Answer

12.5 mL/hr

Question 27

Which of the following factors is NOT considered when calculating IV flow rates?

Accepted Answer

Patient's blood type

Answer

Infusion time

Answer

Total volume to be infused

Answer

Drop factor of the IV tubing

Question 28

An IV is ordered to run at 75 mL/hr. The IV tubing delivers 20 drops per milliliter (gtt/mL). How many drops per minute (gtt/min) will the patient receive?

Accepted Answer

25 drops/min

Answer

30 drops/min

Answer

50 drops/min

Answer

15 drops/min

Question 29

A patient needs to receive 1000 units of heparin in 1 liter (1000 mL) of 0.9% NaCl over 10 hours. The heparin vial contains 5000 units/mL. How many mL of heparin should be added to the IV bag?

Accepted Answer

0.2 mL

Answer

2 mL

Answer

0.5 mL

Answer

1 mL

Question 30

Which formula is used to calculate the flow rate in drops per minute (gtt/min)?

Accepted Answer

(Volume (mL) x Drop factor (gtt/mL)) / Time (min)

Answer

Volume (mL) / Time (hr)

Answer

Volume (mL) x Time (min) x Drop factor (gtt/mL)

Answer

(Volume (mL) / Drop factor (gtt/mL)) x 60

Question 31

When using an infusion pump, the flow rate is typically programmed in:

Accepted Answer

mL/hr

Answer

gtt/hr

Answer

gtt/min

Answer

mL/min

Question 32

What is the most significant safety concern associated with inaccurate IV flow rate calculations?

Accepted Answer

Potential for medication overdose or underdose

Answer

Increased risk of IV site infection

Answer

Incompatibility between medications

Answer

Wasting of expensive medications

Question 33

A patient weighs 50 kg and requires 1000 mL of IV fluid over 8 hours. What is the flow rate in mL/hr?

Accepted Answer

125 mL/hr

Answer

1000 mL/hr

Answer

50 mL/hr

Answer

250 mL/hr

Question 34

A medication order is for 250 mg of a drug to be infused over 4 hours using a 500 mL IV bag. What is the concentration of the medication in mg/mL?

Accepted Answer

0.5 mg/mL

Answer

4 mg/mL

Answer

2 mg/mL

Answer

1 mg/mL

Question 35

Which of the following is the formula for calculating IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Flow rate = Volume / Time

Answer

Flow rate = Time / Volume

Answer

Flow rate = Volume + Time

Answer

Flow rate = Time - Volume

Question 36

What is the purpose of using a drip chamber in an IV setup?

Accepted Answer

To regulate the flow rate of IV fluid

Answer

To hold the IV bag

Answer

To filter impurities from the IV fluid

Answer

To prevent air embolism

Question 37

Which of the following is NOT a factor that can affect IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Patient's blood pressure

Answer

IV solution volume

Answer

Medication dosage

Answer

Patient's weight

Question 38

A patient is receiving an IV infusion of 1000 mL of saline over 12 hours. At the end of 6 hours, how much fluid remains in the IV bag?

Accepted Answer

500 mL

Answer

750 mL

Answer

250 mL

Answer

1250 mL

Question 39

What is the primary reason for using a roller clamp on an IV tubing?

Accepted Answer

To control the flow rate of IV fluid

Answer

To disconnect the IV bag

Answer

To prevent leakage

Answer

To secure the IV tubing

Question 40

Which of the following is a potential complication of an incorrect IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Fluid overload or dehydration

Answer

Blood clot

Answer

Infection

Answer

Allergic reaction

Question 41

What is the average drop factor for an IV tubing set?

Accepted Answer

10 drops/mL

Answer

5 drops/mL

Answer

15 drops/mL

Answer

20 drops/mL

Question 42

When calculating an IV flow rate, it is important to consider the patient's:

Accepted Answer

Age, weight, and medical condition

Answer

Only their age

Answer

Only their weight

Question 43

A patient is prescribed 1 liter of D5W to be infused over 8 hours. What is the flow rate in milliliters per hour (mL/hr)?

Accepted Answer

125 mL/hr

Answer

1000 mL/hr

Answer

250 mL/hr

Answer

500 mL/hr

Question 44

Which formula is used to calculate IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Flow rate = Volume (mL) / Time (hr)

Answer

Flow rate = Time (hr) / Volume (mL)

Answer

Flow rate = Volume (mL) x Time (hr)

Question 45

A patient's IV infusion is ordered to run at 75 mL/hr. The IV bag contains 500 mL of medication. How long will the infusion take to complete?

Accepted Answer

6 hours 40 minutes

Answer

8 hours

Answer

5 hours

Answer

7 hours

Question 46

Which of the following factors influence IV flow rate?

Accepted Answer

Patient size, medication dosage, IV solution viscosity

Answer

Temperature only

Answer

Patient age only

Question 47

A patient is prescribed 3 grams of penicillin to be infused over 4 hours. The penicillin is available as a 500 mg/mL solution. What is the flow rate in mL/hr?

Accepted Answer

3.33 mL/hr

Answer

5 mL/hr

Answer

4 mL/hr

Answer

2 mL/hr

Question 48

Which IV administration set has a drip factor of 60 drops/mL?

Accepted Answer

Microdrip

Answer

Macrodrip

Answer

Volumetric

Answer

Buretrol

Question 49

What is the purpose of titrating IV flow rates?

Accepted Answer

To gradually adjust the flow rate to achieve a desired therapeutic effect or patient tolerance.

Answer

To prevent IV infiltration

Answer

To ensure accurate medication delivery

Question 50

Which type of IV fluid is used for fluid replacement and electrolyte balance?

Accepted Answer

Normal saline (0.9% NaCl)

Answer

Dextrose 5% in water (D5W)

Answer

Lactated Ringer's solution

Answer

Blood

Question 51

What is the role of a pharmacy technician in calculating IV flow rates?

Accepted Answer

To ensure safe and accurate delivery of IV medications

Answer

To administer IV medications

Answer

To prescribe medications

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT a safety precaution when calculating IV flow rates?

Accepted Answer

Using round numbers

Answer

Using accurate conversion factors

Answer

Verifying calculations

Answer

Considering patient factors