A client receives a prescription for dextrose 5% in water 500 mL IV to be infused over 4 hours. The IV administration set delivers 15 gtt/mL. How many gtt/min should the nurse regulate the infusion? (Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest whole number.)

A) Urinary output equal intake:
This assessment finding suggests that the client is voiding an amount of urine equivalent to their fluid intake, indicating effective bladder emptying. Bethanechol is a cholinergic agonist that stimulates bladder contraction, helping to improve urinary retention by promoting the expulsion of urine from the bladder. Equal urinary output and intake indicate that the bladder is adequately emptying, which is a positive response to bethanechol therapy.

B) No terminal urinary dribbling:
While the absence of terminal urinary dribbling may be an indicator of improved bladder emptying, it is not as definitive as assessing urinary output equal to intake. Terminal urinary dribbling refers to the involuntary loss of urine that occurs after completing urination due to incomplete emptying of the bladder. While its absence may suggest improved bladder emptying, it is not as reliable an indicator as measuring urinary output.

C) Denies stress incontinence:
The absence of stress incontinence, which is the involuntary loss of urine during activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure (such as coughing, sneezing, or lifting), is not directly related to the effectiveness of bethanechol for urinary retention. Bethanechol primarily targets urinary retention by stimulating bladder contraction rather than addressing stress incontinence, which involves weakness of the pelvic floor muscles.

D) Absence of xerostomia:
Xerostomia refers to dryness of the mouth due to decreased saliva production and is a common side effect of anticholinergic medications. Bethanechol, as a cholinergic agonist, may actually increase saliva production and is not typically associated with xerostomia. However, the absence of xerostomia does not directly indicate the effectiveness of bethanechol for urinary retention.

To find out how many gtt/min the nurse should regulate the infusion;

We can use the following formula:

Flowrate(gtt/min) = Totalvolume(mL) / Time(min) ​× Dropfactor(gtt/mL)

Given:

Total volume = 500 mL

Time = 4 hours = 240 minutes (since 1 hour = 60 minutes)

Drop factor = 15 gtt/mL

Substituting the given values into the formula:

Flowrate(gtt/min) =500mL/240min​ ×15gtt/mL

After performing the calculation, we find that the flow rate equals 31.25 gtt/min.

So, the nurse should regulate the infusion to 31 gtt/min (rounded to the nearest whole number).