12. In a home setting, how would you prepare 1 L (or so) of normal saline (0.9% NaCl) using water and table salt if you have only a measuring cup and a teaspoon? On hand is an unopened 1 lb box of salt. The key is to clearly understand what 0.9% means. Salt is measured by weight, so 0.9% means 0.9 parts salt by weight to 100 parts salt solution (not water) by weight. If you knew the density of granulated salt you could convert from a desired weight of salt to a volume of salt. Since you can only measure volume (using cup and tsp), you will somehow have to determine the density of salt. You could look up the density, or what if you poured the box of salt (16 oz) into your measuring cup? Doing so you find that you have a bit over 12 fluid ounces of salt. Recalling that density is weight/volume, you figure the density of salt at 16 oz/12.3 fl oz or 1.3 oz/fl oz. What you want to know is the number of teaspoons per quart. The set up follows: 12.3 fl oz salt x 0.9 oz salt x 32 oz x 2 tbsp x 3 tsp = 1 1/3 tsp salt 16 oz salt 100 oz salt sol 1 qt 1 fl oz 1 tbsp qt salt sol To make one quart you would first put the salt into a measuring cup then fill to the 1 quart mark. 13. You have an order to infuse 1000 mL of D5W (5% Dextrose in water) IV over a period of 5 hr. No pump is available, but the tubing set package notes that the drop factor is 10 gtt/mL. How would you adjust the drip rate? what do you want to know? The flow rate in gtt/min, which are the answer units. What do you know? You're given that there are 10 gtt/mL and that the infusion rate is 1000 mL/5 hr. Since you want gtt on top and 10 gtt/mL has gtt in the right place, 10 gtt/mL
12. In a home setting, how would you prepare 1 L (or so) of normal saline (0.9% NaCl) using water and table salt if you have only a measuring cup and a teaspoon? On hand is an unopened 1 lb box of salt. The key is to clearly understand what 0.9% means. Salt is measured by weight, so 0.9% means 0.9 parts salt by weight to 100 parts salt solution (not water) by weight. If you knew the density of granulated salt you could convert from a desired weight of salt to a volume of salt. Since you can only measure volume (using cup and tsp), you will somehow have to determine the density of salt. You could look up the density, or what if you poured the box of salt (16 oz) into your measuring cup? Doing so you find that you have a bit over 12 fluid ounces of salt. Recalling that density is weight/volume, you figure the density of salt at 16 oz/12.3 fl oz or 1.3 oz/fl oz. What you want to know is the number of teaspoons per quart. The set up follows: 12.3 fl oz salt x 0.9 oz salt x 32 oz x 2 tbsp x 3 tsp = 1 1/3 tsp salt 16 oz salt 100 oz salt sol 1 qt 1 fl oz 1 tbsp qt salt sol To make one quart you would first put the salt into a measuring cup then fill to the 1 quart mark. 13. You have an order to infuse 1000 mL of D5W (5% Dextrose in water) IV over a period of 5 hr. No pump is available, but the tubing set package notes that the drop factor is 10 gtt/mL. How would you adjust the drip rate? what do you want to know? The flow rate in gtt/min, which are the answer units. What do you know? You're given that there are 10 gtt/mL and that the infusion rate is 1000 mL/5 hr. Since you want gtt on top and 10 gtt/mL has gtt in the right place, 10 gtt/mL