How many milligrams of sodium chloride are contained in 1,000 mL of D5 (1/2) NS?

A. 4,500 mg: (1/2) NS refers to a half-strength normal saline solution. Normal saline (0.9% NaCl) contains 9 grams, which is 9,000 mg, of sodium chloride per 1,000 mL. Therefore, a half-strength solution will contain exactly half of this amount, which is 4,500 mg. B. 9,000 mg: A concentration of 9,000 mg of sodium chloride would be found in 1,000 mL of a full-strength normal saline solution (NS or 0.9% NaCl), not a half-strength solution. This represents the total amount of NaCl in a standard liter of NS. C. 2,250 mg: This value is a quarter of the total sodium chloride found in a liter of normal saline. This amount would be found in a quarter-strength normal saline solution (1/4 NS), which is a different concentration than what is specified. D. 500 mg: While 500 mg of dextrose is present per 100 mL of D5W, this value does not represent the sodium chloride content of any standard IV solution.