The following is an overview of key IV concepts which are useful for
dosage calculation problems.
Example: D5W = 5% Dextrose in Water
Example: D5 ¼ NS = 5% dextrose in 0.225% saline solution
Important IV Terms
- gtts: drops
- Drop Factor: Number of drops per volume of IV fluid. Varies depending on the tubing used. Usually measured in gtts/mL.
- Flow Rate: Measure of the flow of liquid from an IV. Usually measured in gtts/minute (how many drops are released every minute) or in mL/hour (how many mL flow through each hour). gtts/minute is used for manually regulating an IV while mL/hour is used when utilizing an electronic IV regulator.
Important IV Abbreviations
- D: Dextrose
- W: Water
- S: Saline
- NS: Normal Saline (0.9% NaCl)
- RL or LR: Lactated Ringer's
Example: D5W = 5% Dextrose in Water
Example: D5 ¼ NS = 5% dextrose in 0.225% saline solution