Intermittent Infusion Rate Calculation

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Intermittent Infusion Rate Calculator

10 (Macro) 15 (Macro) 20 (Macro) 60 (Micro)
IV Pump Setting: mL/hr
Manual Drip Rate: gtt/min

Understanding Intermittent Infusion Calculations

Intermittent infusion refers to the administration of a medication over a specific period (usually 15 to 90 minutes) at specified intervals. This is common for antibiotics, electrolytes, and other medications that must be diluted and delivered slower than an IV bolus but are not continuous infusions.

Formula for mL/hr: (Total Volume in mL ÷ Time in Minutes) × 60
Formula for gtt/min: (Total Volume in mL × Drop Factor) ÷ Time in Minutes

Why Manual Drip Rates Matter

While most modern clinical settings use electronic IV pumps to set the mL/hr, nurses must still be proficient in calculating gtt/min (drops per minute). This skill is vital during equipment failure, power outages, or in transport situations where gravity-fed tubing is used.

Common Drop Factors

  • Macro-drip: 10, 15, or 20 gtt/mL (used for general adult infusions).
  • Micro-drip: 60 gtt/mL (used for pediatric or high-precision medications).

Step-by-Step Example

Scenario: You are ordered to administer 1 gram of Cefazolin in 50 mL of Normal Saline over 30 minutes. The tubing has a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL.

  1. Calculate mL/hr: (50 mL ÷ 30 min) × 60 = 100 mL/hr.
  2. Calculate gtt/min: (50 mL × 15 gtt/mL) ÷ 30 min = 750 ÷ 30 = 25 gtt/min.

Safety Considerations

Always verify the "Rights of Medication Administration" before starting an infusion. Ensure the compatibility of the secondary medication with the primary IV fluid. If the calculated rate seems unusually high or low for the specific medication, double-check the order and your math before proceeding.

function calculateInfusion() { var volume = document.getElementById('volume').value; var time = document.getElementById('time').value; var dropFactor = document.getElementById('dropFactor').value; var resultContainer = document.getElementById('resultContainer'); var mlHrResult = document.getElementById('mlHrResult'); var gttMinResult = document.getElementById('gttMinResult'); // Validation if (volume === "" || time === "" || volume <= 0 || time <= 0) { alert("Please enter a valid positive volume and infusion duration."); return; } var v = parseFloat(volume); var t = parseFloat(time); var df = parseFloat(dropFactor); // Calculate mL/hr // (mL / min) * 60 = mL/hr var mlHr = (v / t) * 60; // Calculate gtt/min // (mL * Drop Factor) / min = gtt/min var gttMin = (v * df) / t; // Display Results mlHrResult.innerText = mlHr.toFixed(1); gttMinResult.innerText = Math.round(gttMin); resultContainer.style.display = "block"; }

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