A patient is to receive 500 mL of IV fluids over 4 hours using an electronic infusion device (EID) with IV tubing that has a calibration of 10 gtt/mL. What should be the setting on the infusion device?

To determine the correct setting on the electronic infusion device (EID) for administering 500 mL of IV fluids over 4 hours, it is essential to calculate the required flow rate in mL/hr.

First, you divide the total volume of fluid (500 mL) by the total time (4 hours). This calculation looks like this:

500 mL ÷ 4 hours = 125 mL/hr.

This result indicates that the infusion device should be set to deliver 125 mL of fluid every hour to ensure that the entire 500 mL is infused over the designated 4-hour period.

In the context of the choices, selecting 125 mL/hr aligns perfectly with the calculations necessary to achieve the desired infusion time and volume accurately. Understanding the importance of these calculations is crucial in intravenous therapy, as it ensures that patients receive the correct dosage of fluids over a specified time frame, which can be critical to their treatment and recovery.