A nurse is caring for a client who just received a dose of IV ampicillin. Which of the following client reactions requires priority intervention by the nurse?

To calculate the infusion rate in gtt/min, the nurse needs to use the formula:

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = Volume (mL) x Drop factor (gtt/mL) / Time (min)

Plugging in the given values, we get:

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = 400 mL x 60 gtt/mL / 480 min

Simplifying, we get:

Infusion rate (gtt/min) = 50 gtt/min

Therefore, the nurse should set the manual IV infusion to deliver 50 gtt/min.

A. Substance that can inhibit the growth of bacteria:

This definition is incorrect. The term "virulence" does not refer to a substance that inhibits bacterial growth. Instead, it pertains to the ability of a microorganism to cause disease.

B. Permanent, inheritable changes to DNA:

This definition is incorrect. Permanent, inheritable changes to DNA are typically referred to as mutations. While mutations can impact the characteristics of microorganisms, the term "virulence" specifically relates to disease-causing ability rather than genetic changes.

C. When a microbe is no longer affected by a drug following treatment with anti-infectives:

This definition is incorrect. The phenomenon described here is known as drug resistance or antimicrobial resistance. It refers to the ability of microorganisms to survive and multiply in the presence of antimicrobial agents, rendering the drugs ineffective.

D. The severity of disease that an organism is able to cause:

This definition is correct. Virulence refers to the degree or severity of disease that an organism, such as a bacterium or virus, is capable of causing. Microorganisms with high virulence can cause severe illness or death in infected hosts, while those with low virulence may cause milder symptoms or no symptoms at all.