Question

The healthcare provider orders 2 g of ampicillin in 50 ml of D5W, to infuse I.V. piggyback (IVPB) over 30 minutes, for a client who had a right total knee replacement secondary to osteoarthritis. At what rate would the nurse set the I.V. infusion pump in milliliters per hour? Record your answer using a whole number.

Answer 1

To find the IV infusion rate in ml/hr for an ampicillin solution to be infused over 30 minutes, we divide the total volume (50 ml) by the time in hours (0.5 hours), resulting in an infusion rate of 100 ml/hr.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the IV infusion rate in milliliters per hour (ml/hr), we need to know the total volume of the IV solution and the time over which it should be infused. According to the healthcare provider's order, 50 ml of D5W with 2 g of ampicillin should be administered over 30 minutes. To find the infusion rate in ml/hr, we use the formula:

Rate (ml/hr) = (Total volume in ml) / (Time in hours)

Since the time given is in minutes, we first convert 30 minutes into hours:

30 minutes = 0.5 hours (because 1 hour = 60 minutes)

Now, we can calculate the rate:

Rate (ml/hr) = 50 ml / 0.5 hours

= 100 ml/hr

Therefore, the nurse would set the IV infusion pump to deliver at a rate of 100 ml/hr.