IV Drip Rate Calculator (Drops Per Minute Calculator)

The IV drip rate calculator, also known as the drops per minute calculator is a tool designed to help you calculate the number of drops of an IV fluid delivered per minute during an IV infusion.

How to Use this IV Drip Rate Calculator

To use our drops per minute calculator, all you need to do is:

1. Enter the volume of IV fluid to be administered, in mL.
2. Enter the drop factor of the tubing used. The drop factor is often labeled by the manufacturer on the packaging of the drip set. Macrodrip tubings often have a drip factor of 10 – 20 drops/min, while microdrip sets have 60 drops/min.
3. Enter the infusion time and select the applicable unit (minutes or hours).
4. Click the Calculate drip rate button to have your calculation done in no time.

What Is The IV Drip Rate?

The intravenous (IV) drip rate refers to the number of drops of an IV fluid delivered per minute during an IV infusion. It is measured as volume per unit of time, usually in mL per hour (mL/hr).

The drip rate controls how rapidly medications, hydration fluids, or nutrient solutions from an IV bag or syringe reach the patient’s bloodstream when injected into their vein.

What is the Formula for Drip Rate and Flow rate 

The formula for calculating the IV drip rate is:

IV Drip Rate (drops/minute) = Volume of fluid (mL) / Infusion Time (minutes) x Drop factor

Where:

• Volume of fluid: The total amount of IV solution to be infused, measured in mL
•  Infusion Time: The duration over which the total volume of fluid is to be infused, measured in minutes.
• Drop factor: The number of drops per 1 mL flowing through the IV tubing system being used. Varies depending on tubing – 10 to 20 drops/mL for macrodrip tubing, 60 drops/mL for microdrip sets.

The IV flow rate refers to the amount of IV solution administered per hour, measured in mL/hr (milliliters per hour).

The formula for calculating flow rate is:

Flow Rate (mL/hr) = Total Volume (mL) ÷ Infusion Time (hrs)

How to calculate the IV drip rate

Let’s calculate the IV drip rate needed to administer an antibiotic medication in 100 mL of normal saline over 30 minutes through microdrip tubing (60 drops/mL).

Our prescription is to infuse 100 mL over 0.5 hours (30 minutes).

Using the flow rate formula below:

IV Drip Rate (drops/minute) = Volume of fluid (mL) / Infusion Time (minutes) x Drop factor

Iv Drip Rate = (100 ml / 30 min) x 60 drops/ml

= 3.3 ml/min x 60 drops/ml

= 200 drops/minute

Therefore, to administer this medication over 30 minutes as prescribed, we’ll have to set the device to deliver 200 drops per minute.

FAQS

How Many Drops Per Minute Is 100 ML Per Hour?

For standard macrodrip tubing with 15 drops/mL:

100 mL/hr x 15 drops/mL = 1,500 drops per hour

1,500 drops per hour ÷ 60 minutes per hour = 25 drops per minute

How Many Drops Is 60 ML Per Hour?

Assuming a 15 drops/ml macrodrip tubing is used.

60 mL/hr x 15 drops/mL = 900 drops per hour

900 drops per hour ÷ 60 minutes per hour = 15 drops per minute

How Long Does A 500ml IV Take?

If infusing at the average rate of 125 mL/hr, then:

500 mL ÷ 125 mL/hr = 4 hours

So a 500 mL IV bag would take approximately 4 hours to fully administer at the standard 125 mL/hr flow rate typically used.

How Do You Calculate Drop Per Minute?

Drops per minute formula:

Drops/minute = Flow Rate (mL/hr) x Drip Factor (drops/mL tubing)

How Do You Calculate Infusion Time?

The infusion time formula is:

Infusion Time (hrs) = Total Volume (mL) ÷ Flow Rate (mL/hr)

What Is The Formula For Calculating IV Fluids?

The formulas for calculating IV fluid rates are:

1. mL/hr rate = Total Volume (mL) ÷ Number of Hours
2. Drops/minute = Flow Rate (mL/hr) x Drip Factor (drops/1 mL tubing)

Why Is Paracetamol Given Slow IV?

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is given intravenously (IV) at a controlled rate to ensure safety and effectiveness. The recommended duration for an IV infusion of paracetamol is typically 15 minutes.

This recommendation is based on minimizing local tissue trauma and related pain that can be associated with the infusion.

How Do You Set A Manual Drip Rate?

Steps to manually set an IV flow rate:

1. Determine the prescribed flow rate in mL/hr
2. Select the appropriate IV tubing set and know the drip factor
3. Calculate drops per minute for the tubing flow rate
4. Count drips per minute and manually adjust roller clamp to match target

What is GTT per mL?

“GTT” stands for “guttae” which means “drops” in Latin. So GTT/mL indicates the number of drops per 1 milliliter flowing through the particular IV tubing system.