An adult client who is 24\text{ hours} postoperative following a small bowel resection rem… — NCLEX-RN

An adult client who is $24\text{ hours}$ postoperative following a small bowel resection remains NPO (nothing by mouth). The primary healthcare provider prescribes a continuous intravenous (IV) infusion of $1000\text{ mL}$ of lactated Ringer's solution to be administered over an $8\text{-hour}$ period.

At what rate in milliliters per hour (mL/hr) should the nurse set the electronic IV infusion pump? Record your answer as a whole number.

Answer: 125 mL/hr

Answer

The nurse should set the electronic IV infusion pump to deliver

125\text{ mL/hr}

To determine the correct programmed rate for an electronic intravenous infusion pump, the nurse must calculate the volume of fluid to be administered per hour. The standardized formula is

\text{Total Volume (mL)} \div \text{Total Time (hours)}

. Dividing

1000\text{ mL}

8\text{ hours}

yields a precise continuous rate of

125\text{ mL/hr}

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the total prescribed volume.

1000\text{ mL}

This value serves as the numerator in the infusion rate calculation.

Identify the prescribed duration for the infusion.

8\text{ hours}

This value serves as the denominator in the infusion rate calculation.

Divide the total volume by the total time.

1000 \div 8 = 125

This mathematical operation determines the specific amount of fluid that must be delivered each hour to complete the infusion on time.

Key Concept

Basic intravenous fluid infusion rate calculation for an electronic pump

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