Enoxaparin Dose Calculator (Weight & Kidney Function)

How it works

Treatment: 1 mg/kg every 12 h, or 1.5 mg/kg once daily · Prophylaxis: 40 mg once daily · CrCl < 30 mL/min: treatment 1 mg/kg once daily, prophylaxis 30 mg once daily · volume (mL) = dose ÷ 100 mg/mL (120 and 150 mg syringes are 150 mg/mL)

Enoxaparin is a low-molecular-weight heparin dosed by actual body weight for treatment and at a fixed dose for prophylaxis. It is cleared by the kidneys, so the label reduces the dose when creatinine clearance (Cockcroft-Gault) falls below 30 mL/min: treatment becomes 1 mg/kg once daily and prophylaxis 30 mg once daily. Doses are usually rounded to the nearest syringe graduation. At extremes of weight, in pregnancy and in kidney impairment an anti-Xa level drawn 4 hours after the 3rd or 4th dose (target about 0.5–1.0 IU/mL for twice-daily treatment) helps confirm the dose.

Worked example

An 80 kg adult with a creatinine clearance of 80 mL/min being treated for a DVT with the twice-daily regimen: 1 mg/kg × 80 kg = 80 mg every 12 hours (0.80 mL of the 100 mg/mL solution, exactly one 80 mg syringe), 160 mg a day. If the clearance were below 30 mL/min, the dose would become 80 mg once every 24 h.

Sources: Lovenox (enoxaparin sodium injection) prescribing information — Sanofi / FDA label · Garcia DA et al. Parenteral anticoagulants: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest 2012;141(2 Suppl):e24S–e43S

Frequently asked questions