IV Rate Calculations

To calculate IV flow rates, nurse must know:

 volume of fluid to be infused

 how much time required for infusion

Calculation varies depending on whether using gravity flow rate or infusion pump
 Gravity rate – calculate # of drops/minute (gtt/min)
 Pump rate – calculate # mL to be administered in 1 hour (mL/hr)

Calculating Gravity Rate:

Gravity drip rates require the volume to be infused in mL, the time to administer in
minutes and the tubing calibration (drops required to make a mL of solution).
Determining Calibration (gtt/mL) This information is found on IV tubing packaging
 macrodrip (10, 15 drops (gtts) per mL)
 microdrip (60 gtts per mL)

Formula for calculating gravity infusion rates:

Volume (mL) to be infused X Calibration (gtt/mL)

Time (minutes) to administer

Example: Physician’s order states to administer 100 mL NS /hour. The tubing

calibration is 10 gtt/mL

Volume (mL) X Calibration (gtt/mL) = 100 mL X 10 gtt/mL = 16.67 gtt/minute

Time (minutes) 60 minutes

Gravity drip rates are rounded to whole number (cannot count parts of drops!)
Therefore, answer is rounded to 17 drops/minutes.

When you actually titrate the gtt/mL, you will divide the answer by 4 to get a titration
rate / 15 seconds. This is NOT the answer on a math test!

Example: the physician orders IV 5% D/W 400 ml over 4 hours.

The tubing calibration provides 15 gtt/ml

Volume (mL) X Calibration (gtt/mL) =

Time (minutes)

400 ml 15 gtts
X =
4 hr × 60 min ml

25 gtts/min

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Calculating Infusion Pump Rates
To calculate infusion pump rate, you need to must know the volume to infusion in mL,
and the time to infuse in hours (mL/hr)
Example: Order 1200 mL D5W to infuse over 12 hours. Calculate the pump rate in
mL/hr?
Total Volume (mL) = 1200 mL = 100 mL/hr
Total Time (hour) 12 hr

If time to infuse is less than 1 hour use the following formula:

Total Volume (mL) X 60 minutes/hr = mL/hr
Total Time (minutes

Example: IV med in 50 ml to be infused over 15 minutes.

50 mL X 60 minutes/hr = 200 mL/hr
15 minutes

The pump will be set at 200 ml/hr.

When to change IV bag

Nurses must also calculate at what time the IV infusion will be complete in order to plan
to change IV bag prior to IV bag emptying
Example: When you arrive on shift @ 0730 you hang a 1000 mL bag of NS which is
infusion @ 100 mL/hr. At what time will you expect the bag to be empty?
Volume to be absorbed (TBA) = 1000 mL = 10 hr
Infusion rate/hr 100 mL/hr

0730 + 10 hr = @ 1730 there would be 0 mL left to infuse

Plan to change bag with approximately 100 mL left, so the infusion does not run
dry!

Try the following practice questions!

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Practice Questions:
1. The physician orders IV of 2/3 & 1/3 @ 100 mL/hr. The calibration of the
tubing is 15 gtt/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.

v/t x c
100 mL/ 60 min X 15 gtt/mL
=25 gtt/min

2. The physician orders IV D5W @ 50 mL/hr. The calibration of the tubing is 10

gtt/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.

V/T x C
50 mL/60 min X 10 gtt/mL
=8.3 round to 8 gtt/min

3. An IV of 2000 mL is to infuse over 12 hours. The tubing calibration is 10

gtts/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.

V/T X C
2000 mL/ (12 hr X 60 min) X 10 gtt/mL
2000 mL/720 min X 10 gtt/mL
=27.8 round to 28 gtt/min

4. 3500 mL of IV fluid is ordered to infuse over 24 hours. The tubing calibration

is 10 gtt/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.

V/T x C
3500 mL / (24 hr X 60 min) X 10 gtt/mL
3500 mL/1440 min X 10 gtt/mL
=24.3 round to 24 gtt/min

5. Infuse 500 mL of IV Normal Saline over 3 hours. The tubing calibration is 15

gtt/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.

V/T x C
500 mL / (3 hr X 60 min) X 15 gtt/mL
500 mL/ 180 min X 15 gtt/mL
=41.6 round to 42 gtt/min

6. 1500 mL of IV 0.9% NaCl is to infuse over 5 hours using tubing calibrate for
15 gtt/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.
V/T X C
1500 mL / (5 hr X 60 min) X 15 gtt/mL
1500 mL / 300 min X 15 gtt/mL
=75 gtt/min

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7. Infuse 1750 mL IV Ringers Lactate infuse over 9 hours using tubing
calibrated at 10 gtt/mL. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min.

V/T x C
1750 mL / (9 hr X 60 min) X 10 gtt/mL
1750 mL/540 min X 10 gtt/mL
=32.4 round to 32 gtt/min

8. 2500 mL of 2/3 & 1/3 is to infuse over 18 hours on a tubing set calibrated at
10 gtt/ml. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min

V/T x C
2500 mL / (18 hr X 60 min) X 10 gtt/mL
2500 mL / 1080 min X 10 gtt/mL
=23.15 round to 23 gtt/min

9. 3000 mL of IV Ringers Lactate is to infuse in 24 hours on a set calibrated at

10 gtt/mL. What is the gravity rate in gtt/min?

V/T X C
3000 mL / (24 hr X 60 min) X 10 gtt/mL
3000 mL/1440 min X 10 gtt/mL
=20.83 round to 21 gtt/min
10. 2750 mL of Normal Saline is to infuse in 22 hours using a 15 gtt/m calibrated
infusion set. What is the gravity rate in gtt/min?

V/T x C
2750 mL/ (22 hr X 60 min) X 15 gtt/mL
2750 mL / 1320 min X 15 gtt/mL
=31.25 round to 31 gtt/min

11. 750 mL of IV Normal Saline is ordered to infuse over 8 hours. Tubing

calibration is 10 gtt/mL. What is the gravity rate in gtt/min?
v/t x c
750 mL/ (8 hr X 60 min) X 10 gtt/mL
750 mL/480 min X 10 gtt/mL
=15.63 round to 16 gtt/min

12. 1200 mL of IV 2/3 & 1/3 is to infuse over 12 hours using a 15 gtt/mL tubing
calibration. What is the gravity rate in gtt/min?
V/T X C
1200 mL / (12 hr X 60 min) x 15 gtt/mL
1200 mL / 720 min x 15 gtt/mL
=25 gtt/min
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13. The doctor’s order reads infuse 3000 mL D5W IV q 24 hr. Calculate the
gravity rate in gtt/min if tubing calibration is 10 gtt/mL

V/T x C
3000 mL/ (24 hr X 60 min) x 10 gtt/mL
3000 mL / 1440 min x 10 gtt/mL
=20.83 round to 21 gtt/min

14. The physician has ordered IV medication xx to be infused in 300 mL D5W

over 3 hours. Calculate the gravity rate in gtt/min if the tubing calibration is 10
gtt/mL
V/T x C
300 mL/ (3 hr X 60 min) x 10 gtt/mL
300 mL/180 min x 10 gtt/mL
=16.67 round to 17 gtt/min

15. IV Normal Saline is infusing at 125 ml/hr. At 0700 there was 500 ml TBA.
At what time will you need to change the bag?
TBA / rate
500 mL/ 125 mL/hr
=4 hr till bag empty
0700 + 4 hr = 1100 hr
Therefore, change bag at approx. 1030

16. The patient is receiving Ringer’s Lactate at 125 mL/hr X 4 hrs, then 75 mL/hr
X 4 hrs, then 50 mL/ hr for the remainder of your shift. Calculate the patient’s
IV intake for your 12-hour shift.
125 mL X 4 = 500 mL
75 mL X 4 = 300 mL
50 mL X 4 = 200 mL
Total for 12 hr = 1000 mL

17. A total of 280 mL D5W remains in the patient’s IV bag. The infusion pump
rate is 70 mL/hr. It is now 1100. What is the approximate time you will need
to change the IV bag to a new one?
TBA / rate
280 mL / 70 mL/hr
= 4 hr + 1100 hr
=@ 1500 hr bag will be empty
Change at approx. 1330

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18. At 0400 an IV of Intralipids 500 mL is started at a rate of 50 mL/hr. What time
will the infusion be completed?
TBA/rate
500 mL / 50 mL/hr
= 10 hr + 0400
= @1400 bag will be empty
Change bag @ approx. 1330

19. Med xxxx in a 50 mL bag of Normal Saline is to be administered over 20

minutes. What rate will you set the infusion pump in mL/hr?

Tot vol (mL) X 60 min/hr

Time (min)

50 mL X 60 min/hr
20 min

=150 mL/hr

20. Med xxxx in a 100 mL bag of Normal Saline is to be administered over 30

minutes. What rate will you set the infusion pump in ml/hr?

Tot vol (mL) X 60 min/hr

Time (min)

100 mL X 60 min/hr
30 min

=200 mL/hr