Urea mg/dL → BUN mg/dL
Convert urea in mg/dL (German “Harnstoff”, Turkish “üre”) to blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
Sources last checked: 2026-10-13
Urea mg/dL → BUN mg/dL
Convert urea in mg/dL (German “Harnstoff”, Turkish “üre”) to blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
Derived from molar masses: nitrogen makes up 28.014 of urea’s 60.056 g/mol. Check which analyte your lab reports — “Harnstoff” and “BUN” differ by a factor of about 2.14.
What is the Urea mg/dL → BUN mg/dL?
German, Austrian and Turkish laboratories report urea (Harnstoff, üre) in mg/dL, while US literature reports blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in mg/dL. The two differ by the share of nitrogen in the urea molecule: 28.014 of 60.056 g/mol (PubChem). Mixing them up is a classic source of error with US-derived scores.
When to use it
- Using a German or Turkish urea value in a score or formula that expects BUN
- Calculating a BUN/creatinine ratio from mg/dL results
- Clarifying lab reports that say only ‘urea’ or ‘Harnstoff’
When not to use it
- Urea in mmol/L — use the urea mmol/L → BUN converter
- When the lab report already states ‘Harnstoff-N’ or ‘BUN’
How it is calculated
BUN (mg/dL) = urea (mg/dL) × 28.014 / 60.056 (≈ × 0.467) Urea (mg/dL) = BUN (mg/dL) × 2.144
Clinical pearls and limitations
- Derived from molar masses: nitrogen makes up 28.014 of urea’s 60.056 g/mol. Check which analyte your lab reports — “Harnstoff” and “BUN” differ by a factor of about 2.14.
- Urea (mg/dL) × 0.467 = BUN (mg/dL); BUN × 2.14 = urea.
- A German urea of 40 mg/dL is a BUN of about 19 mg/dL — a normal value, not a raised one.
- To get mmol/L from urea in mg/dL, divide by 6.006.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Harnstoff to BUN?
Multiply urea (mg/dL) by 0.467 (28.014/60.056). Example: 60 mg/dL urea = 28 mg/dL BUN.
What is the difference between urea and BUN?
Urea is the whole molecule; BUN is only its nitrogen content. Urea weighs about 2.14 times its nitrogen.
How do I convert BUN to urea in mg/dL?
Multiply BUN by 2.14 (60.056/28.014).
Evidence and guidelines
- Primary source: PubChem compound summary: urea (CID 1176), molecular weight 60.056 g/mol.
- PubChem compound summary: nitrogen (N₂) (CID 947), molecular weight 28.014 g/mol.
- AMA Manual of Style, 11th ed. (Oxford Academic) — Units of measure converter, Table 2: Selected laboratory tests and conversion factors.
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<p><a href="https://medelix.ai/en/calculators/urea-mg-dl-to-bun">Urea mg/dL → BUN mg/dL calculator by Medelix</a></p>For healthcare professionals and medical students. These tools support, and do not replace, clinical judgement. Always check results against the original source and your local protocols.