Nursing

Gravity IV Drip Rate & Flow Time Calculator (Macrodrip & Microdrip)

Calculates gravity intravenous drip rate (gtt/min), flow rate (mL/hr), and drops per 15 seconds.

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Parameters

Gravity IV Drip Rate & Flow Time Calculator (Macrodrip & Microdrip) Result

Formula

Drip Rate (gtt/min) = [Total Volume (mL) × Drip Factor (gtt/mL)] / [Time (hours) × 60 min]
Flow Rate (mL/hr) = Total Volume (mL) / Time (hours)
15-Second Count = Drip Rate / 4

Clinical Pearls

Ensures accurate manual fluid delivery in environments without electronic infusion pumps (field medicine, disaster response, transport, or resource-limited settings).

Limitations

Viscosity of blood products and temperature variations may cause slight variances in actual drop size compared to nominal tubing calibration.