iv_drip_rate: IV Drip Rate Calculator

In cliot: Clinical Indices and Outcomes Tools

IV Drip Rate Calculator

Description

Calculates the IV infusion rate in drops per minute (gtts/min). This formula is used when an electronic IV pump is unavailable, requiring manual regulation of the flow rate based on the tubing's drop factor (drops per milliliter).

Usage

iv_drip_rate(volume_ml, time_min, drop_factor_gtts_ml)

Arguments

volume_ml	Numeric. The total volume of fluid to be infused in milliliters.
time_min	Numeric. The total time for the infusion in minutes.
drop_factor_gtts_ml	Numeric. The drop factor of the IV tubing set (gtts/mL). Common macrodrip factors are 10, 15, or 20 gtts/mL; microdrip is typically 60 gtts/mL.

Value

A list containing:

Drip_Rate_gtts_min

The calculated drip rate rounded to the nearest whole number (drops/minute).

Examples

# Example 1: 1 Liter (1000 mL) over 8 hours (480 min) with 15 gtt/mL tubing
# Rate = (1000 * 15) / 480 = 31.25 -> 31 gtts/min
iv_drip_rate(1000, 480, 15)

# Example 2: 100 mL Antibiotic over 30 min with 20 gtt/mL tubing
# Rate = (100 * 20) / 30 = 66.6 -> 67 gtts/min
iv_drip_rate(100, 30, 20)

cliot documentation built on Dec. 1, 2025, 1:06 a.m.