Final answer:
To calculate the infusion rate in mL/h for ampicillin, double the volume of the solution since it is to be administered over 30 minutes, resulting in an infusion rate of 100 mL/h.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student asked how to calculate the infusion rate in mL/h for a prescribed dose of ampicillin, which is to be administered intravenously. Given the order of Ampicillin 500 mg IV in 50 mL in D5 1/2NS over 30 minutes, the first step is to understand the duration of the infusion in terms of an hour. Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, and the medication is to be infused over half an hour, we can deduce that the infusion rate needs to be double the volume for a full hour. Thus, if 50 mL is the volume to be infused over 30 minutes, then over 60 minutes (1 hour), the infusion rate must be 100 mL/h (50 mL x 2).