Question

A laboring client with gestational diabetes is receiving an IV infusion with regular insulin at 5 units/hour. The IV solution contains 100 units of regular insulin in 250 mL of 0.9% normal saline. The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver how many mL/hour?

Answer 1

The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver 30 mL/hour.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver 30 mL/hour.

To calculate the infusion rate, we need to find the number of units of insulin per mL and multiply it by the infusion rate in units/hour.

In this case, the concentration of insulin in the IV solution is 100 units/250 mL.

To find the number of units per mL, we divide 100 units by 250 mL, which equals 0.4 units/mL.

Next, we multiply 0.4 units/mL by 5 units/hour to find the infusion rate in mL/hour.

0.4 units/mL x 5 units/hour = 2 mL/hour.

Therefore, the nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver 2 mL/hour.