[cvryder]

I was always taught that dopamine should only be infused through a central line (CVL, PICC, whatever). In every facility I've worked in previously, you had to have a specific order to give it peripherally. At the hospital where I am currently a traveler on a cardiac floor this is apparently not so. I came in one night to an order to start a dopamine drip on a patient who had *only* a peripheral line. I was very uncomfortable with this and questioned it. I was told (rather disapprovingly) "We do this all the time." Since then I have seen that indeed they do. I am still really uncomfortable with it. Amiodarone is also infused peripherally here.

[Angie O'Plasty, RN]

We really do, do it all the time.

Scary, but true. Make sure there's regitine in the Pyxis and keep a good eye on the site!


PS I received amiodarone peripherally once. It was kinda an emergency, no time to put a central line. No ill effects.

[neneRN]

Do it all the time in the ER; of course I wouldn't run it into a little 22 in the hand, but have given it through an 18 or 20 in the AC many, many times and have never had a problem.

[LoraLou]

at our hospital i believe the policy is that a cvl must be placed within 12 hours of starting a vasoactive medication (dopa, neo, etc) that way if someone is posibly just needing short term help they won't necessarily be put through having a cvl placed. That being said, usually we push for one to be put in asap. We usually run amio through peripherals without a problem.

[chaosRN]

If I have this runing into a PIV - I check for blood return almost constantly - when I have no blood return, I get a new line.

[NurseguyFL]

Originally Posted by cvryder

I was always taught that dopamine should only be infused through a central line (CVL, PICC, whatever)... Amiodarone is also infused peripherally here.

We infuse these drugs peripherally all the time.

[shadowflightnurse]

Do it frequently. I just had a lady last night on Dopamine with "old lady" veins. She was an ICU hold in the ED. She had a 22G and a 24G. ED doc wouldn't put in a central ("she's not my patient anymore") and the admitting wouldn't come in at 2300 on a Saturday night. So she got Dopamine through a peripheral line---which was CLOSELY monitored. Also she people on pressors with no A-line....gasp Not perfect, but we do what has to be done.

[jrbl77]

on our med surg floor we run dopamine for renal perfusion thru peripheral iv lines all the time. usually these pt's don't have great veins and or code 3 and cannot go to tele for monitoring. our surgeons aren't very happy to get called in to place cvp lines.

[AfloydRN]

Our hospital policy states good for 24 hours then HAS to be run through central.

[jbp0529]

I don't think we have a specific policy regarding this issue, however if it is approaching the 24 hr mark, we start waving central line kits in front of the docs' faces. I guess if it is an emergency, however, and no central access, then one has to weigh the risks and benefits of "right here, right now, this is what I have to work with."