Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN)

For a 3-year-old admitted with dehydration, how would you calculate the hourly fluid maintenance rate for a child weighing 13kg?

1. 52 mL/hr

2. 46 mL/hr

3. 36 mL/hr

4. 26 mL/hr

The correct answer is: 46 mL/hr

To calculate the hourly fluid maintenance rate for a child, the commonly used formula is based on the child's weight in kilograms. For the first 10 kg of body weight, the maintenance fluid requirement is approximately 100 mL/kg. For the next 10 kg, it's about 50 mL/kg, and for any weight beyond 20 kg, it’s 20 mL/kg. In this case, the child weighs 13 kg. We can break this down as follows: 1. For the first 10 kg: - 10 kg x 100 mL/kg = 1000 mL. 2. For the next 3 kg (since the child is 13 kg): - 3 kg x 50 mL/kg = 150 mL. Now, adding these together gives: 1000 mL + 150 mL = 1150 mL for a 24-hour period. To find the hourly rate, divide the total by 24 hours: 1150 mL ÷ 24 hours ≈ 47.92 mL/hr, which can be rounded to 46 mL/hr. Thus, the correct answer is indeed 46 mL/hr. This calculation emphasizes the