Final answer:
The flow rate of an IV is determined by the pressure difference and the properties of the fluid. To calculate the new flow rate when replacing a glucose solution with whole blood, we can use Poiseuille's law and the viscosity ratio.
Step-by-step explanation:
The flow rate of an IV is determined by the pressure difference and the properties of the fluid being administered. To calculate the new flow rate when replacing a glucose solution with whole blood, we can use Poiseuille's law which states that the flow rate is directly proportional to the pressure difference and the fourth power of the radius, while inversely proportional to the viscosity of the fluid.
In this case, the density of the blood is the same as glucose solution, so it does not affect the flow rate. However, the viscosity of the blood is 2.50 times that of the glucose solution, which means it will have a higher resistance to flow.
To find the new flow rate, we can use the ratio of the viscosities: (new flow rate) = (glucose flow rate) x (viscosity ratio).