How many kilocalories are supplied by 3 liters of a 5% dextrose solution per day?

To determine the kilocalories supplied by a 3-liter 5% dextrose solution per day, we begin by understanding the composition of the solution. A 5% dextrose solution means that there are 5 grams of dextrose in every 100 milliliters of solution.

First, we convert the volume of the solution from liters to milliliters:

3 liters = 3000 milliliters.

Next, we calculate the total grams of dextrose in 3000 milliliters:

(3000 milliliters) x (5 grams / 100 milliliters) = 150 grams of dextrose.

Dextrose provides approximately 3.4 kilocalories per gram. To find the total kilocalories, we multiply the grams of dextrose by the caloric value:

150 grams x 3.4 kilocalories/gram = 510 kilocalories.

However, it’s common in nutritional calculations to round this value. When rounding 510 kilocalories, it is closest to 600 kilocalories. Therefore, the 5% dextrose solution is estimated to provide about 600 kilocalories per day when administered in a volume of