A patient’s intake includes two 100 mL intravenous antibiotics, two eight-ounce cups of ice, one eight-ounce cup of coffee, and three eight-ounce cups of water. What is the total intake in milliliters (mL)?

A patient’s intake includes two 100 mL intravenous antibiotics, two eight-ounce cups of ice, one eight-ounce cup of coffee, and three eight-ounce cups of water. What is the total intake in milliliters (mL)?

• A. 1200 mL
• B. 1400 mL
• C. 1600 mL
• D. 1800 mL

Answer: (B)

Total intake is found by converting every component to milliliters and adding them together. Use 1 cup (8 oz) approximately equal to 240 mL for liquids. For ice, follow the common nursing convention that 1 cup of ice counts as about 120 mL, since ice contains volume that will melt to roughly half as liquid. Two doses of intravenous antibiotics are 100 mL each, totaling 200 mL. Two eight-ounce cups of ice equal 2 × 120 = 240 mL. One eight-ounce cup of coffee equals about 240 mL. Three eight-ounce cups of water equal 3 × 240 = 720 mL. Now sum: 200 + 240 + 240 + 720 = 1,400 mL.

Total intake is found by converting every component to milliliters and adding them together. Use 1 cup (8 oz) approximately equal to 240 mL for liquids. For ice, follow the common nursing convention that 1 cup of ice counts as about 120 mL, since ice contains volume that will melt to roughly half as liquid.

Two doses of intravenous antibiotics are 100 mL each, totaling 200 mL. Two eight-ounce cups of ice equal 2 × 120 = 240 mL. One eight-ounce cup of coffee equals about 240 mL. Three eight-ounce cups of water equal 3 × 240 = 720 mL.

Now sum: 200 + 240 + 240 + 720 = 1,400 mL.