The healthcare provider prescribes ganciclovir 375 mg IV every 12 hour to infuse over 90 minutes. The pharmacy delivers ganciclovir 375 mg in a 150 mL IV bag. How many drops/minute should the nurse regulate the gravity infusion using a drip chamber that delivers 10 drops/mL? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)

Calculation: Total volume to be infused = 150 mL Infusion time in minutes = 90 minutes Drop factor of the IV tubing = 10 drops/mL Calculate the total number of drops to be infused: Total drops = Total volume (mL) x Drop factor (drops/mL) = 150 mL x 10 drops/mL = 1500 drops Calculate the infusion rate in drops per minute (drops/minute): Infusion rate (drops/minute) = Total drops / Infusion time (minutes) = 1500 drops / 90 minutes ≈ 16.67 drops/minute Round to the nearest whole number: = 17 drops/minute