Med MathPractice test

IV infusion time

Find how long an infusion takes to finish. Use the volume in the bag and the rate of the pump.

For practice only. Not for clinical use. The drug names and numbers are made up. Always follow your school's and your facility's rules.

Practice problem

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A small IV bag has 100 mL. The pump runs at 250 mL/h. How many minutes does it take to finish?

Round to the nearest whole number.

min

How to solve it

Time in hours equals the volume in mL divided by the rate in mL/h. To get minutes, multiply the hours by 60. To get the finish time, add the time to the start time.

Worked example

An IV bag has 100 mL. The pump runs at 200 mL/h. How many hours does the bag take to finish?

Solution

  1. 100 mL ÷ 200 mL/h = 0.5 h.

Formula: Time (h) = volume (mL) ÷ rate (mL/h)

Answer: 0.5 h

Questions

How do I find how long an IV takes?

Divide the volume in mL by the rate in mL/h. The answer is in hours. For example, 1,000 mL at 125 mL/h takes 8 hours.

How do I change hours with decimals to minutes?

Multiply the part after the point by 60. For example, 2.5 hours is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

How do I find the time the IV finishes?

Add the infusion time to the start time. Use the 24-hour clock if your school does.

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