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Infusion Rate Formula:
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This calculator converts medication orders from units per kilogram per hour (units/kg/hr) to milliliters per hour (mL/hr) based on the medication concentration. It's essential for accurate medication administration, especially for weight-based infusions.
The calculator uses the following formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the exact infusion rate needed to deliver the prescribed dose based on patient weight and medication concentration.
Details: Precise calculation of infusion rates is critical for medications with narrow therapeutic windows, such as heparin, insulin, or vasoactive drugs, where small errors can lead to significant clinical consequences.
Tips: Enter the prescribed dose in units/kg/hr, patient weight in kg, and medication concentration in units/mL. All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: Why is weight important in this calculation?
A: Many medications are dosed based on body weight to account for differences in drug distribution and metabolism among patients.
Q2: How do I find the medication concentration?
A: Concentration is typically listed on the medication label or can be calculated based on the amount of drug added to a specific volume of solution.
Q3: What if my medication is in mcg/mL rather than units/mL?
A: You would need to use a mcg/kg/hr to mL/hr calculator instead, as the units are different.
Q4: Should I round the final infusion rate?
A: Follow your institution's policies, but typically infusion rates are rounded to one decimal place for pumps that allow this precision.
Q5: How often should I recalculate the infusion rate?
A: Recalculate whenever the patient's weight changes significantly or when the medication concentration changes.