What it means
The rate is usually set in mL/hrMIL-ih-lee-terz per OW-erMilliliters per hour: the unit for how fast an IV fluid, infusion or tube feeding runs.Full entry , or for many drugs in a dose per hour or per minute that the pump converts. Examples include maintenance IV fluids and drips of heparin, insulin or blood pressure drugs. It differs from an intermittent infusion such as an IVPBeye-vee-pee-BEE (said as letters)Intravenous piggyback: a small bag of IV medicine given over a short time through a second line joined to the main IV line.Full entry , given over a set time and then stopped, and from a bolusBOH-lusA single amount of a drug or fluid given all at once or over a short time.Full entry , given all at once.
For the nurse
Check the order, the bag label and the pump settings against each other at the start of each shift and whenever a bag is changed, and trace the line from the bag to the client. Check the IV site regularly.
At a glance
| Also written | continuous infusions |
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Related terms
infusion
The slow delivery of a fluid or drug into the body, usually into a vein, over a period of time.
bolus
A single amount of a drug or fluid given all at once or over a short time.
infusion pump
A machine that delivers IV fluid or medicine into the body at a set rate and amount.
mL/hr
Milliliters per hour: the unit for how fast an IV fluid, infusion or tube feeding runs.
IVPB
Intravenous piggyback: a small bag of IV medicine given over a short time through a second line joined to the main IV line.