by jbp0529

Hello all:

My unit just started using this new anti HTN drip (well, new to us anyway), called Cleviprex. It's a calcium channel blocker, looks like propofol, is run in mg/hr. Apparently someone has won over the minds of our surgeons on this drug and we were told "expect to see it quite frequently". I used it for the first time last week (first time for our unit too) on a fresh carotid endart. Orders were to first use hydralaizine iv push... if unsuccessful in lowering the bp, then start the Cleviprex. Hydralazine didnt touch her, so i started the drip. Her bp was 190/something, surgeon wanted to keep her less than 150. Let me just say that my first impression is that I HATE this drug. First of all, its fairly labor-intensive in that we were told we have to change the bottle AND tubing every 4 hours, whether the entire volume is infused or not. Second, with the drip running at max rate (16 mg/hr if i recall), her bp was only down to 165. Hate it, hate it, hate it ! Maybe I'm just resistant to change, but I called the surgeon and got her switched to SNP and got her pressure consistently on target within 30 minutes.

Re: Any one using Cleviprex in their unit?

Never heard of it. Looked around on the website for a bit and it looks as though we have plenty of drugs that already meet and exceed what this one does! Can we say Nipride and Cardene?

Discarding the unused portion and tubing q4h is ridiculous. I don't see this being used too widely....contraindications are: Aortic stenosis, soy allergy, egg allergy, hyperlipidemia. How many of our old folks in the unit have hyperlipidemia and/or aortic stenosis!


Looks about as worthless of a drug as using esmolol for pressure control.

Re: Any one using Cleviprex in their unit?

My thoughts/feelings exactly. I'm hoping this falls out of style quickly. I dont know how expensive this stuff is, but I'm sure that being relatively new it isn't cheap. Coupled with discarding the un-used portion q 4 hours + the cost of a set of IV tubing q 4 hours...no doubt it adds up $$$.

I agree with you. IMHO, they tried to reinvent the Cardene/Nipride wheel and failed.

Re: Any one using Cleviprex in their unit?

We got a lot of propaganda about this a few months ago, and I have heard NOTHING about it since. No orders, haven't seen it stocked, nothing.

Must not have been as great a mousetrap as they thought it was.