What it means
The speed set for an infusionin-FYOO-zhunThe slow delivery of a fluid or drug into the body, usually into a vein, over a period of time.in- intofus/o pourFull entry . On an infusion pump it is set in milliliters per hour (mL/hr). For gravity tubing it is counted in drops per minute (gtt/min), worked out from the volume, the time and the tubing's drop factor (drops per mL). Some drugs are ordered as a dose over time, such as units per hour or micrograms per kilogram per minute, which the nurse turns into mL/hr.
For the nurse
The basic calculations are mL/hr = total mL ÷ hours, and gtt/min = (total mL × drop factor) ÷ minutes. Check the rate against the order and look at the bag, pump and site at least every hour. Never speed up an infusion to "catch up" without an order.
In a chart
"1,000 mL over 8 hours: pump set at 125 mL/hr."
At a glance
| Also written | infusion rates, flow rate, drip rate |
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Related terms
IV
Intravenous: into a vein, or the tube placed in a vein to give fluids and drugs.
infusion
The slow delivery of a fluid or drug into the body, usually into a vein, over a period of time.
circulatory overload
More fluid in the blood vessels than the heart and circulation can handle.