Question

A patient has an order for a continuous infusion of regular insulin at 8 million liters per hour for a blood glucose level of 840 mg/D L, the insulin has a concentration of regular insulin 50 units 100 ml. How many units per hour of regular insulin is a patient receiving

Answer 1

The new flow rate when switching from glucose solution to whole blood with 2.5 times higher viscosity will be 1.60 cm³/min.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question involves calculating the new flow rate of an IV infusion when the fluid being administered is changed from a glucose solution to whole blood, which has a viscosity 2.50 times that of the glucose solution. The flow rate depends on various factors including viscosity, according to Poiseuille's Law, which states that flow rate is inversely proportional to the viscosity of the fluid. Assuming that all other conditions such as pressure and tube diameter remain constant, the new flow rate can be found by dividing the original flow rate by the factor by which viscosity has increased. Since the density remains the same but the viscosity increases by a factor of 2.5, the new flow rate will be:

Original flow rate / Viscosity factor = 4.00 cm³/min / 2.5

= 1.60 cm³/min

Thus, the new flow rate of whole blood will be 1.60 cm³/min.