A liter of normal saline is prescribed to infuse at 1.5 mL/kg/hr. The patient weighs 176 pounds. What infusion rate should be set on the pump in mL/hr?

• A. 90 mL/hr
• B. 120 mL/hr
• C. 180 mL/hr
• D. 240 mL/hr

Answer: (B)

This question tests converting weight to kilograms and applying a weight-based infusion rate to get mL per hour.

First convert the patient’s weight to kilograms: 176 lb ÷ 2.2046 ≈ 79.8 kg (about 80 kg).

Then multiply by the prescribed rate: 1.5 mL/kg/hr × 79.8 kg ≈ 119.7 mL/hr, which rounds to about 120 mL/hr.

So the pump should be set to roughly 120 mL/hr. The fact that the total volume is 1 liter isn’t needed for the rate itself; it would tell you how long the infusion would take at this rate (1000 mL ÷ 120 mL/hr ≈ 8.3 hours) if you needed that.