Drip rate converter
Convert an infusion between mL/h and drops a minute. Pick the giving set first: its drop factor is printed on the packet.
That's about the same as a standard infusion. A one-liter bag would last about 8 hours.
What it means
How fast is it running?
Information only, not clinical guidance. Gravity lines drift as the bag empties and the patient moves, so a counted rate needs rechecking.
Every unit
Your rate in every unit
Learn
Three things worth knowing
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drops/min = mL/h × drop factor ÷ 60
125 mL/h through a 20 drop set is 42 drops a minute. With a 60 drop microdrip set, the drops a minute simply equal the mL/h.
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The microdrip shortcut
A 60 drop set was chosen precisely because there are 60 minutes in an hour, making the conversion one to one — a deliberate piece of design to stop arithmetic errors.
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The drop factor is not universal
Using 20 drops per mL on a 15 drop set runs the infusion 33% fast. The factor is printed on every packet for exactly this reason.
Shortcuts
Popular rate conversions
Background
About drip rates
An infusion pump is set in mL/h. A gravity line has no pump, so the nurse counts drops a minute — and how much a drop is depends on the giving set: 20 drops to the milliliter for a standard adult set, 60 for a paediatric one.