How many carbohydrates does a patient receive in 24 hours with D5 (5% dextrose solution) at 125 mL/hour?

Carbohydrate Delivery from D5 at 125 mL/hr

The patient receives 150 grams of carbohydrates (dextrose) in 24 hours with D5 running at 125 mL/hr. 1

Calculation Breakdown

• D5 (5% dextrose) contains 5 grams of dextrose per 100 mL of solution 1

• At an infusion rate of 125 mL/hour:

  • Hourly dextrose delivery = (125 mL/hr × 5 g/100 mL) = 6.25 grams per hour 1
  • Daily dextrose delivery = 6.25 g/hr × 24 hours = 150 grams per 24 hours 1

• Total fluid volume delivered = 125 mL/hr × 24 hours = 3,000 mL (3 liters) per day 1

Clinical Context

• This infusion rate delivers approximately 0.26 grams of dextrose per kilogram per hour for a 70 kg patient, which is well below the maximum rate of 0.5 g/kg/hr that can be infused without producing glycosuria 2

• The 150 grams of dextrose per 24 hours provides approximately 600 kcal of energy (dextrose provides 4 kcal/gram), which represents partial nutritional support but is insufficient as sole nutrition 3

• For diabetic patients receiving insulin coverage, if this D5 infusion were interrupted, immediate initiation of D10 at 50 mL/hr (providing 5 g/hr) would be recommended to prevent hypoglycemia 4

Monitoring Considerations

• Blood glucose should be monitored regularly when administering dextrose-containing fluids to avoid both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia 1

• At 125 mL/hr of D5, the mean serum glucose rise is approximately 9-24 mg/dL above fasting levels in non-diabetic patients, though individual responses vary 5