Aim: To calculate the drop rate

1. Aim: To calculate the drop rate
By
Dr. Manoj Kumar
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology
Adesh Medical College & Hospital Ambala Can’t

2. .
Intravenous fluid must be given at a specific rate
measured as ml/hour or drops/min. To control or
adjust the flow rate, drops per minute is used.

3. What is a drop factor?
Drop factor is the number of drops in one milliliter used
in IV fluid administration (also called drip factor). A
number of different drop factors are available but the
commonest are:
10/ 16/ 20 drops / ml (macro dripset)
60 drops / ml (micro dripset)

4. Flow rate = volume (ml) X drop factor (gtts / ml)
time (min)
= gtts / min

5. .
1. For a 45 years old male patient, weighing
70 kgs, of Diabetic ketoacidosis, flow rate
of insulin was 24 drops / min from 500 ml of
NS. Calculate the dose rate of insulin in
U/kg/hr.
 Insulin vial = 40 U/ml (drip set factor = 16)

6. - 16 drops-------------------- = 1 ml
24 drops ------------------ = 1 x 24/16 = 1.5 ml/min.
- 500 ml NS contain----- = 40 Units of insulin
1 ml NS of insulin contain = 40/500 = 0.08 unit
1.5 ml NS contain------ = 0.08 x 1.5 = 0.12 unit
- 70 kg -------------------- = 0.12 unit
1 kg ---------------------- = 0.12/ 70 = 0.0017 unit/kg/min
- 1 min. --------------------- = 0.0017 unit/kg
60 min.--------------------- = 0.0017 x 60
= 0.0102 U/Kg/hr

7. .
2. For a 60 years old female patient, wteighing 60
kgs, of Deep Vein Thrombosis, give heparin at
the dose rate of 1000 U/hr by infusion in 500 ml
of 5% dextrose.
 Heparin vial = 5000 U/ml.
 Calculate the flow rate (drip set factor
=16)

8. .
- In 500 ml -------------- = 5000 U(vial) of heparin.
1 ml ------------------ = 5000/500 = 10 units/ml.
- 60 min. ------------------ = 1000 U /hr
- So 1 min. ---------------- = 1000/60 = 16.66 units/min
- 1o units ------------------- = 1 ml
So 16.66 units.---------- =16.66/10 = 1.666 ml/min
- In 1 min ------------------ = 1.67 ml , so
- 1 ml-------------------------- = 16 drops
1.67 x 16 drops ------- = 26.72 drops
= 27 drops/min.

9. .
3. For a 45 years old male patient, (wt. 50 kg) of
Diabetic ketoacidosis, flow rate of insulin is 16
drops/min from 500 ml of NS. Calculate the dose
rate of Insulin in U/hr.
 Insulin vial = 40 U/ml (drip set factor =16)

10. - 16 drops/min. ---------- = 1 ml/min.
- 500 ml of NS contain ---- = 40 unit
1 ml of NS contain ------ = 40/500 = 0.08 unit
- 0.08 unit/min. ------------- = 0.80 x 60 unit/hr
= 4.8 unit/hr

11. .
4. For a 50 years old male patient, (wt. 60 kg ) of
cardiogenic shock, give dopamine at the dose rate of 5
µg/kg/min by infusion in 500 ml of 5% dextrose.
 Dopamine ampoule = 40 mg/ml.
 Calculate the flow rate. (drip set factor =16)

12. - 500 ml 5% dextrose contain = 40 mg = 40000 µg/ml
1 ml ------------ = 40000/500 = 80 µg/ml.
- 1 kg ---------- = 5 µg
60 kg --------- = 300 µg/min.
- 80 µg --------- = 1ml
300 µg ---------- = 300/80 = 3.75 ml/min.
- 1 ml--------------- = 16 drops
3.75ml------------ = 3.75 x 16 = 60 drops/min

13. .
5. For a 60 years old female patient, weighing 50 kg, of
Deep Vein Thrombosis, flow rate of heparin was 120
drops/min from 500 ml of 5% dextrose.
 Calculate the dose rate of heparin in U/kg/hr.
 Heparin vial = 1000 U/ml. (drip set factor = 16)

14. .
- 16 drops -------------- =1 ml
120 drops ------------- = 120/16 = 7.5 ml/min.
- 500 ml ------------------ = 1000 Units of Heparin.
1 ml ---------------------- = 1000/500 = 2 units/min.
- 1 ml --------------------- = 2 units
7.5 ml -------------------- = 7.5 x 2 = 15 units.
- 15 units/min ----------- = 50 kg
So 1 kg ---------------- = 15/5o = 0.3 units/kg/ min.
- In 1 min. --------------- = 0.3 units/kg/min.
60 min ---------------- = 0.3 x 60 = 18 unit/kg/ hr.

15. .
6. For a 50 years old male patient,( wt. 50 kg) of cardiogenic
shock, flow rate of dopamine was 60 drops/min from 500 ml
of 5% dextrose. Calculate the dose rate of dopamine in
µg/kg/min.
 Dopamine ampoule = 40 mg/ml.
 Drip set factor =16

16. - 500 ml---------- = 40 mg
- 1ml ---------- = 40/500 = 0.08 mg = 80 µg
- 16 drops ---------- = 1ml
- 60 drops/min. -- = 60/16 = 3.75 ml/min.
- 3.75 ml x 80 µg = 300 µg /min.
- 50 kg. ------------ = 300 µg /min.
- 1kg ------------- = 300/50
= 6 µg/kg/min.

17. .
7. For a 45 years old male patient, wt. 60 kgs, of
Diabetic ketoacidosis, give insulin at the
dose rate of 0.5 U/kg/hr by infusion in 500 ml
of NS.
 Insulin vial = 60 U/ml (total 5ml)
 Calculate the flow rate. (drip set factor =
16)

18. Answer 2
- 1 kg --------------------- = 0.5 unit
60 kg ------------------- = 0.5 x 60 = 30 unit/hr.
- 60 min. ------------------- = 30 unit
- 1 min. ------------------- = 30/60 = 0.5 unit / min.
total insulin contain = 60 x 5 = 300 unit/ml
- 300 unit /ml ------------ = 500 ml
0.5 unit ---------------- = 500 x 0.5/300 = 0.83 ml /min.
- 1ml ----------------------- = 16 drop
0.83 ml ------------------- = 16 x 0.83
= 13.33 Drops/ min.

19. .
8. For a 50 years old male patient, wt. 70 kgs, of
cardiogenic shock, give dopamine at the dose
rate of 5 µg/kg/min by infusion in 500 ml of 5%
dextrose.
 One ampoule = 40 mg
 Calculate the flow rate. (drip set factor =
16)

20. Answer 5
- Dose rate ---------------- = 5 µg/Kg/min.
- for 70 Kg - 70 x 5 ------- = 350 µg/ min.
- 40 mg (1 ampoule) will be diluted in 500 ml of 5% Dextrose
- 500 ml ------------ = 40 mg
1 ml ---------- = 40/500 = 0.08 mg
- 0.08 mg ------------ = 0.08 x 1000 = 80 µg
- 80 µg ----------------- = 1ml
350 µg ------- = 350/80 = 4.375 ml/ min.
- 1 ml --------- = 16 drops.
4.375 ------ = 4.375 x 16 = 70 drops/min.

21. .
9. For a 50 years old male patient, wt. 60 kgs, of
cardiogenic shock, give dopamine at the dose rate of
5 µg/kg/min by infusion in 500 ml of 5% dextrose.
 Dopamine ampoule = 40 mg/ml.
 Calculate the flow rate. (drip set factor =16)

22. Answer 7
- 500 ml 5% dextrose contain = 40 mg = 40000 µg/ml
1 ml ------------ = 40000/500 = 80 µg /ml.
- 1 kg ---------- = 5 µg
60 kg --------- = 300 µg /min.
- 80 µg --------- = 1ml
300 µg ---------- = 300/80 = 3.75 ml/min.
- 1 ml--------------- = 16 drops
3.75ml------------ = 3.75 x 16 = 60 drops/min

23. Thank you