How many calories per gram are in dextrose?

Calories per Gram in Dextrose

Dextrose provides 3.4 kilocalories per gram. 1

Composition and Energy Content

• Dextrose (D-glucose monohydrate) is a hexose sugar with the chemical formula C₆H₁₂O₆·H₂O that is freely soluble in water 1
• According to the FDA drug label, each gram of dextrose delivers 3.4 kcal of energy 1
• Dextrose is commonly used in various concentrations in intravenous fluids, with standard formulations including:
  • D5 (5% dextrose) containing 5 grams of dextrose per 100 mL 2
  • D50 (50% dextrose) containing 0.5 grams of dextrose per mL 1

Clinical Applications

• Dextrose solutions are used for multiple purposes in clinical settings:
  • Treatment of hypoglycemia, particularly in emergency situations 3
  • As a vehicle for medication administration 2
  • For fluid resuscitation with concurrent need for glucose supplementation 2
  • As a component of nutritional support in malnourished patients 4

Considerations for Administration

• When treating hypoglycemia, titrated replacement with smaller aliquots (5g) of dextrose is recommended to avoid overcorrection of blood glucose levels 3
• Studies show that 10% dextrose administered in 5g (50 mL) aliquots results in lower post-treatment blood glucose levels compared to 50% dextrose in 5g (10 mL) aliquots (6.2 mmol/L vs. 9.4 mmol/L) 5
• The median blood glucose response to D50W is approximately 4 mg/dL per gram of dextrose administered 6
• For short-term glucose provision when patients must abstain from food for more than 12 hours, 2-3 g/kg/day of dextrose can be used 4

Safety Considerations

• Rapid administration of concentrated dextrose solutions (D50) has been associated with complications including cardiac arrest and hyperkalemia 3
• Extravasation of concentrated dextrose solutions can lead to significant tissue injury, requiring prompt identification and treatment 7
• When using dextrose as part of nutritional support, thiamine should be administered prior to starting glucose infusion to reduce the risk of Wernicke's encephalopathy 4
• Regular blood glucose monitoring is essential when administering dextrose-containing fluids to avoid both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia 4, 8

Comparative Efficacy

• Studies comparing 10% dextrose to 50% dextrose for hypoglycemia treatment show:
  • Similar efficacy in symptom resolution (95.9% vs. 88.8%) 9
  • Slightly longer time to resolution with D10 (8.0 minutes vs. 4.1 minutes) 9
  • Fewer adverse events with D10 (0/1057) compared to D50 (13/310) 9
  • Lower post-treatment blood glucose levels with D10, potentially reducing glucose variability 9, 5