Calculator Category

Core Conversions

General lab unit conversions, including concentrations, electrolytes, enzyme activity, and molecular-weight based unit changes.

About Core Conversions Conversions

Core conversions are the everyday unit changes that appear on almost every laboratory report. They cover the big concentration pairs — mmol/L to mg/dL, µmol/L to mg/dL, nmol/L to ng/mL — as well as electrolyte units (mEq/L and mmol/L), enzyme activity (U/L and µkat/L), and simple mass conversions like mg/L to mg/dL. If you are trying to compare a result from a US report with one written in SI units, this is usually where to start.

The key idea running through all of these tools is that most conversions between mass and molar units are set by the molecule's weight, so every analyte has its own factor. Glucose uses about 18, creatinine 88.4, and bilirubin 17.1 — which is why a single generic number cannot work for every test. Each calculator here shows the factor and the formula, and the SI unit conversion calculator converts 29 analytes at once if you are not sure which tool you need.

Available Calculators

Browse all core conversions tools available on ConvertMedUnits.com.

SI Unit Conversion Calculator Convert 29 lab analytes between SI units (mmol/L, µmol/L, nmol/L) and US conventional units, with a master conversion-factor reference table. mmol/L to mg/dL Calculator Convert common blood test units for glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, calcium, and more. mg/dL to mmol/L Conversion Calculator Convert lab results from mg/dL to mmol/L using molecule-specific conversion factors. µmol/L to mg/dL Conversion Calculator Convert creatinine, bilirubin, uric acid, and other micromole-based lab values. mg/dL to µmol/L Conversion Calculator Convert creatinine, bilirubin, uric acid, minerals, and other lab values to µmol/L. Creatinine mg/dL to µmol/L Calculator Convert creatinine kidney lab results between mg/dL and µmol/L using the standard 88.4 factor. Creatinine Clearance Calculator Estimate creatinine clearance in mL/min using the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Bilirubin mg/dL to µmol/L Calculator Convert total, direct, or indirect bilirubin between mg/dL and µmol/L using the standard 17.1 factor. Urea / BUN Conversion Calculator Convert BUN (mg/dL) to urea (mmol/L) with the 0.357 factor, with the BUN vs urea difference explained. Uric Acid Conversion Calculator Convert uric acid between mg/dL and µmol/L with the 59.48 factor and gout thresholds. Calcium Conversion Calculator Convert calcium lab values between mg/dL, mmol/L, and mEq/L with formulas and a quick reference chart. mg/L to mg/dL Conversion Calculator Convert milligrams per liter to milligrams per deciliter with the simple divide-by-10 formula. ng/mL to µg/L Conversion Calculator Convert nanograms per milliliter to micrograms per liter with the direct 1:1 relationship. µkat/L to U/L Conversion Calculator Convert enzyme activity from microkatals per liter to Units per liter using the factor of 60. U/L to µkat/L Conversion Calculator Convert enzyme activity from Units per liter to microkatals per liter using the divide-by-60 formula. U/L to IU/L Conversion Calculator Convert enzyme activity results between Units per liter and International Units per liter with the direct 1:1 relationship. mEq/L to mmol/L Conversion Calculator Convert electrolyte values using ion valence for sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and more. mmol/L to mEq/L Conversion Calculator Convert SI electrolyte values to milliequivalents using the ion valence formula. mg to mEq Conversion Calculator Convert elemental electrolyte mass to milliequivalents using molecular weight and valence. nmol/L to ng/mL Conversion Calculator Convert hormones, vitamins, and other analyte values using molecular weight. ng/mL to nmol/L Conversion Calculator Convert mass-based lab values to nmol/L using molecule-specific molecular weight. ng/dL to nmol/L Conversion Calculator Convert testosterone and other hormone values from ng/dL to nmol/L using molecular weight. pmol/L to pg/mL Conversion Calculator Convert picomoles per liter to picograms per milliliter using molecular weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about core conversions lab unit conversions.

What are core lab unit conversions?

They are the common conversions between the two systems used worldwide: SI (molar) units such as mmol/L, µmol/L and nmol/L, and conventional (mass) units such as mg/dL, µg/dL and ng/mL, plus electrolyte and enzyme-activity units.

Why does each test use a different conversion factor?

The factor for a mass-to-molar conversion comes from the substance's molecular weight, which differs for every analyte. That is why glucose, creatinine and bilirubin each convert with their own number rather than a single shared one.

Which units are SI and which are conventional?

SI units express concentration in moles per litre (mmol/L, µmol/L, nmol/L) and are used across most of the world. Conventional units express mass per volume (mg/dL, µg/dL, ng/mL) and are mainly used in the United States.