[TazziRN]

The ER doc was once a FP doc who moonlighted in the ER. Pt came in with SVT and he ordered adenosine "slow push". I reminded him about the half life and he said he went to a conference where they said that adenosine pushed fast can cause the heart to stop.


Um............ain't that what it's s'posed to do?





I hid the port from his view and pushed it fast.

[Sweetooth EMT-P, RN]

[sirI]

Mercy...........

[climberrn]

Are you kidding me?

[maryloufu]

If you are going to give it slow push you might as well just give the pt a saline push- would save money and accomplish the same thing. Did this doc take ACLS?

[TazziRN]

Yes, he took ACLS but he also attended a conference where a cardio was one of the speakers who said that adenosine fast push isn't safe because it can stop the heart.

I talked to the ER med director who rolled his eyes and said "I'll talk to him."

[jmgrn65]

ummm duh that is how it works by stopping the heart, I think he maybe should take ACLS again or rather for the first time.

[pghfoxfan]

He probably doesn't give Benedryl cause it makes his patients "sleepy".

[steelcityrn]

Not that I have ever heard of this either, but there are a few drugs that can bring a patient out of svt, maybe there is something to this in that a heart rate racing so fast and then a heart "stopped" is very dangerous for the patients outcome.

[neneRN]

Originally Posted by steelcityrn

Not that I have ever heard of this either, but there are a few drugs that can bring a patient out of svt, maybe there is something to this in that a heart rate racing so fast and then a heart "stopped" is very dangerous for the patients outcome.

But pushing it slow would negate even giving it at all because of the short half life (what is it, like 6 seconds?)