A maintenance IV infusion is 1000 mL over 8 hours. What is the rate in mL/hr?

A maintenance IV infusion is 1000 mL over 8 hours. What is the rate in mL/hr?

• A. 120 mL/hr
• B. 125 mL/hr
• C. 130 mL/hr
• D. 140 mL/hr

Answer: (B)

Calculating an IV infusion rate means turning a total volume into a per-time rate by dividing the volume by the time over which it is delivered. For a maintenance infusion of 1000 mL over 8 hours, divide 1000 by 8. 1000 ÷ 8 equals 125. So the rate is 125 mL per hour. If this rate runs for the full 8 hours, the total delivered will be 8 × 125 = 1000 mL, confirming the calculation. This is the rate you set on a pump or calculate manually to ensure the patient receives the intended total volume evenly over the prescribed time. If you needed the rate in a different unit, such as mL per minute, you would divide by 60, giving about 2.08 mL/min.

Calculating an IV infusion rate means turning a total volume into a per-time rate by dividing the volume by the time over which it is delivered. For a maintenance infusion of 1000 mL over 8 hours, divide 1000 by 8. 1000 ÷ 8 equals 125. So the rate is 125 mL per hour. If this rate runs for the full 8 hours, the total delivered will be 8 × 125 = 1000 mL, confirming the calculation. This is the rate you set on a pump or calculate manually to ensure the patient receives the intended total volume evenly over the prescribed time. If you needed the rate in a different unit, such as mL per minute, you would divide by 60, giving about 2.08 mL/min.