What is the required flow rate to deliver one litre of dextrose 4% in 1/5 normal saline over 16 hours?

What is the required flow rate to deliver one litre of dextrose 4% in 1/5 normal saline over 16 hours?

• A. 63 mL/h
• B. 62 mL/h
• C. 64 mL/h
• D. 65 mL/h

Answer: (A)

The concept here is calculating the IV infusion flow rate: flow rate equals the total volume to be infused divided by the total time. You need to deliver 1 liter in 16 hours. Convert to milliliters: 1 L = 1000 mL. Then 1000 mL ÷ 16 h = 62.5 mL per hour. In practice, we round to the nearest whole mL per hour, giving 63 mL/h. The slight over-delivery at this rate (63 mL/h for 16 hours = 1008 mL) is typically acceptable when rounding. The actual solution composition doesn’t affect the rate calculation unless the prescribed volume or time changes.

The concept here is calculating the IV infusion flow rate: flow rate equals the total volume to be infused divided by the total time. You need to deliver 1 liter in 16 hours. Convert to milliliters: 1 L = 1000 mL. Then 1000 mL ÷ 16 h = 62.5 mL per hour. In practice, we round to the nearest whole mL per hour, giving 63 mL/h. The slight over-delivery at this rate (63 mL/h for 16 hours = 1008 mL) is typically acceptable when rounding. The actual solution composition doesn’t affect the rate calculation unless the prescribed volume or time changes.