You receive an order written for 375 ml of D5W to be administered over 6 hours.
To solve this problem, we need to calculate the flow rate of the intravenous (IV) solution in milliliters per hour (mL/hr). This can be done by dividing the total volume of the solution (375 mL) by the total time of administration (6 hours).
The formula for calculating the flow rate is:
Flow rate = Volume / Time
In this case, the volume is 375 mL and the time is 6 hours. Substituting these values into the formula, we have:
Flow rate = 375 mL / 6 hours
To simplify the calculation, we can cancel out the unit of hours from the numerator and denominator:
Flow rate = 375 mL / 6
Now, to find the flow rate in mL/hr, we divide 375 mL by 6:
Flow rate = 62.5 mL/hr
Therefore, in order to administer 375 mL of D5W over 6 hours, the flow rate should be set at 62.5 mL/hr.