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IV Drip Rate Calculator

Find the IV drip rate.

How it is calculated

The drip rate is gtt/min = volume × drop factor / time, where volume is in mL, the drop factor is in drops per mL (gtt/mL, printed on the giving set package) and time is in minutes. The same volume and time also give the pump setting mL/h = volume / (time / 60). Both results are rounded to a whole number, because you can only count whole drops. Time must be greater than zero, otherwise there is no result. Remember the time field is minutes, not hours. Always follow the prescriber's order and local protocol; a calculator is only a cross-check.

Worked example

A 1000 mL bag has to run over 8 hours, which is 480 minutes, using a set with a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. Drops per minute = 1000 × 15 / 480 = 31.25, which the tool shows as 31 gtt/min. Pump rate = 1000 / (480 / 60) = 1000 / 8 = 125 mL/h.

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Common mistakes

  • Entering the time in hours: the field is minutes, so 8 hours must be typed as 480.
  • Using the wrong drop factor: macro sets are commonly 10, 15 or 20 gtt/mL while micro sets are 60 gtt/mL, and the value is on the package.
  • Reading the rounded 31 gtt/min as exact; the unrounded figure is 31.25, and the mL/h value is the more precise one for a pump.
  • Confusing mL/h with gtt/min when programming: a pump takes mL/h, a gravity set is counted in drops per minute.
  • Entering the drug amount instead of the fluid volume in mL.

About this calculator

This calculator finds the IV drip rate in drops per minute (gtt/min) from the volume to be infused, the infusion time, and the drop factor of the giving set (typically 10, 15, 20 or 60 gtt/mL for a micro-drip set). It also gives the equivalent infusion rate in mL/hour.

Nurses, EMTs, and nursing students use it to set or double-check a gravity IV drip when no infusion pump is available, and to convert between drops per minute and mL/hour when switching equipment. Enter the volume, time, and drop factor to get both figures at once.

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