If a patient needs to receive 1 L of IV fluid over 24 hours, what is the infusion rate in mL/hr?

To determine the infusion rate in mL/hr for delivering 1 liter of IV fluid over a 24-hour period, it’s important to convert the volume from liters to milliliters and then divide by the time in hours.

Since 1 liter is equivalent to 1000 mL, you would take the total volume of 1000 mL and divide it by the number of hours, which is 24. This calculation is performed as follows:

1000 mL ÷ 24 hours = 41.67 mL/hr.

This means that the infusion rate required to adequately administer 1 liter of IV fluid over a 24-hour timeframe is 41.67 mL/hr. Hence, this rate ensures that the patient receives the correct volume of IV fluid at a consistent speed.

Understanding this calculation is crucial for pharmacy technicians, as accurate dosing and infusion rates are vital to patient safety and effective treatment.