The healthcare provider prescribes ganciclovir 375 mg intravenously (IV) every 12 hours to infuse over 90 minutes. The pharmacy delivers ganciclovir 375 mg in a 150 mL IV bag. How many mL/hour should the nurse program the infusion pump? (Enter a whole number only.)

We can calculate the infusion rate for the nurse to administer ganciclovir considering accurate medication delivery and clinical practicality: We know: Dose per administration: 375 mg (given) Infusion frequency: Every 12 hours (given) Infusion duration: 90 minutes (given) Total volume of ganciclovir solution: 150 mL (given) Goal: Deliver the entire 375 mg dose of ganciclovir over the 90-minute infusion period. Steps: Calculate the volume to deliver per hour (considering the total volume needs to be infused): Volume per hour (mL) = Total volume of bag (mL) / Infusion time (hours) Volume per hour (mL) = 150 mL / (90 minutes / 60 minutes/hour) Convert minutes to hours Volume per hour (mL) = 150 mL / 1.5 hours Volume per hour (mL) = 100 mL/hour (round to nearest whole number) 2. Clinical considerations: Ideally, the infusion rate should deliver the medication accurately within the timeframe. Gravity infusion devices might have limitations in delivering very precise rates (e.g., fractions of mL/minute). Some healthcare facilities might have specific rounding protocols. Considering these factors: 100 mL/hour is the most appropriate rate in this case because it ensures the entire volume containing the medication is delivered within the prescribed infusion duration. Therefore, the nurse should program the infusion pump to deliver 100 mL/hour.