mcg/kg/min to mL/h calculator (weight-based infusion)
Enter your values. The answer and the full worked solution update as you type.
Result
For exam practice only. This is a study aid, never a clinical decision: always follow the prescription, local protocols and the product information.
Convert a weight-based infusion order in mcg/kg/min into a pump rate in mL/h, or work backwards from the pump rate to the dose the patient receives. Enter the amount of drug and the volume of the bag, the weight and the order; the calculator works out the concentration, the dose per hour and the rate, the way dosage calculation exams expect. Orders in mcg/min, mg/kg/h and mg/h work the same way.
Step-by-step solution
Concentration of the bag
Dose per hour
Pump rate = dose per hour ÷ concentration
Key formulas
- Titrated drip
- mL/h = mcg/kg/min × kg × 60 / (mcg/mL)
- Dose from pump rate
- mcg/kg/min = mL/h × (mcg/mL) / (60 × kg)
- Pump rate
- mL/h = dose per hour / concentration
- Pounds to kilograms
- kg = lb / 2.2
- Units
- 1 mg = 1000 mcg
How to convert mcg/kg/min to mL/h
- Find the concentration of the bag in mcg/mL: convert the drug amount to mcg (1 mg = 1000 mcg) and divide by the bag volume in mL.
- Multiply the ordered dose by the weight in kg to get mcg/min. Skip this step for orders that are not weight-based, such as mcg/min.
- Multiply by 60 to get the dose per hour in mcg/h.
- Divide the dose per hour by the concentration: mL/h = mcg/kg/min × kg × 60 ÷ mcg/mL.
- To work backwards, multiply the rate by the concentration, then divide by 60 and by the weight.
Questions and answers
What is the formula for mcg/kg/min to mL/h?
mL/h = dose (mcg/kg/min) × weight (kg) × 60 ÷ concentration (mcg/mL). For example, 5 mcg/kg/min for a 70 kg patient from 400 mg in 250 mL (1600 mcg/mL) is 5 × 70 × 60 ÷ 1600 = 13.1 mL/h.
Why multiply by 60?
The dose is ordered per minute, but infusion pumps run in millilitres per hour. There are 60 minutes in an hour, so the dose per hour is 60 times the dose per minute.
Which weight should I use?
The weight stated in the order or the question, in kilograms. Convert pounds by dividing by 2.2. Some protocols use the ideal or adjusted body weight for certain drugs.
How do I check a running infusion?
Choose the dose from the pump rate. The calculator multiplies the rate by the concentration and divides by 60 and the weight, so you can compare the dose with the order.
How should I round the rate?
As the question or the pump requires: many exams round mL/h to one decimal place. Round only the final answer, not the intermediate steps.
Practise it yourself
Practise Pediatric & critical-care dosing
A calculator gives the answer. In the exam you need the method: practise it with new problems, hints and worked solutions.