Medical Unit Conversions

Excel Formulas › Healthcare & Medical

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Clinical work mixes units — pounds and kilograms, inches and centimeters, mg/dL and mmol/L. Keep a small set of conversion factors so a spreadsheet always speaks the right language.


Quick formula: pounds to kilograms:
=pounds / 2.205
Divide pounds by 2.205 for kilograms; multiply inches by 2.54 for centimeters.

The example

154 lb to kg.

AB
1FromTo
2154 lb→ 69.9 kg
370 in→ 177.8 cm

The formula

The formula:

=B2 / 2.205 // lb ÷ 2.205 = kg

How it works

How it works:

  1. Weight: lb / 2.205 → kg; kg * 2.205 → lb.
  2. Height: in * 2.54 → cm; cm / 2.54 → in.
  3. Glucose: mg/dL / 18 → mmol/L (and ×18 to reverse).
  4. Excel’s CONVERT function handles many units directly: =CONVERT(154, "lbm", "kg").

Educational use only. These are general Excel formulas for learning spreadsheet techniques — not medical advice or a substitute for clinical judgment, professional guidelines, or verified dosing references. Always confirm calculations against authoritative sources and institutional protocols.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Enter a value and pick a conversion.

Result:

Variations

kg to lb

Reverse weight:

=kg * 2.205

CONVERT function

Built-in:

=CONVERT(154, "lbm", "kg")

Temperature

F to C:

=(fahrenheit - 32) * 5/9

Pitfalls & errors

Direction matters. Divide lb by 2.205 for kg; multiply kg by 2.205 for lb.

Glucose factor 18. mg/dL ÷ 18 = mmol/L for glucose specifically.

CONVERT unit codes. Use the exact text codes ("lbm", "kg", "in", "cm").

Practice workbook

📊
Download the free Medical Unit Conversions practice workbook
A conversions sheet with the kg-to-lb, CONVERT, and temperature variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert pounds to kilograms in Excel?
Divide by 2.205: =pounds / 2.205. Or use =CONVERT(value, "lbm", "kg").
How do I convert mg/dL to mmol/L for glucose?
Divide by 18: =mg_dL / 18 (multiply by 18 to reverse).
Is there a built-in conversion function?
Yes — CONVERT handles many units, e.g. =CONVERT(70, "in", "cm").

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