A nurse is preparing to administer a prescribed dose of cefepime 1 gram in 50\text{ mL} of… — NCLEX-RN

A nurse is preparing to administer a prescribed dose of cefepime 1 gram in $50\text{ mL}$ of $0.9\%$ sodium chloride intravenously over $30\text{ minutes}$ to a client with a respiratory tract infection. At what rate in $\text{mL/hr}$ should the nurse set the intravenous infusion pump? Record your answer as a whole number.

Answer: 100 mL/hr

Answer

100

To determine the correct IV pump rate in

\text{mL/hr}

, the nurse must calculate how many milliliters would infuse in 60 minutes based on the prescribed rate. By dividing the total volume (

50\text{ mL}

) by the time in hours (

0.5\text{ hours}

), the calculation is

\frac{50\text{ mL}}{0.5\text{ hr}} = 100\text{ mL/hr}

. Alternatively, using the standard formula:

\frac{50\text{ mL}}{30\text{ min}} \times 60\text{ min/hr} = 100\text{ mL/hr}

. Setting the pump to

100\text{ mL/hr}

ensures the entire

50\text{ mL}

volume is delivered exactly in

30\text{ minutes}

Step-by-Step Solution

Identify the total volume of the IV solution.

50\text{ mL}

The infusion pump rate calculation requires the total volume of fluid to be administered.

Identify the total prescribed infusion time.

30\text{ minutes}

The prescription specifies the duration over which the medication must safely infuse.

Convert the infusion time from minutes to hours.

0.5\text{ hours}

(since

30 \div 60 = 0.5

)

Intravenous infusion pumps are programmed in

\text{mL/hr}

, requiring a time conversion if the order is written in minutes.

Calculate the final pump rate.

100\text{ mL/hr}

Dividing the volume by the time in hours:

\frac{50\text{ mL}}{0.5\text{ hr}} = 100\text{ mL/hr}

Key Concept

Calculating intravenous infusion pump rates in mL/hr for intermittent piggyback medications.

Estimated Time:45s

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