How much free water is contained in 1.5 liters of an enteral feeding with a concentration of 1.5 kcal/mL?

To determine the amount of free water in 1.5 liters of an enteral feeding solution with a concentration of 1.5 kcal/mL, it is essential to first understand how to calculate the water content based on the calorie density of the formula used in enteral nutrition.

Enteral feeds generally consist of both calories and water. The concentration of the feeding solution indicates the number of kilocalories per milliliter. Here, the concentration is 1.5 kcal/mL. Therefore, in 1.5 liters (or 1500 mL) of the feeding, the total caloric content can be calculated by multiplying the volume by the calorie density:

1500 mL × 1.5 kcal/mL = 2250 kcal.

Next, to find out how much water is present in the formula, one must look at the water content typically associated with the specific formula. Many enteral feeding formulas have a specific water-to-calorie ratio, which can vary. However, a common approximation for enteral formulas is that they provide roughly 80-85% of their total volume as free water.

Using this guideline, we can estimate the amount of free water present in the 1.5 liters of enter