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Discussion

Bicitra

Just a question. out of everyone who gives bicitra prior to surgeries. Do you dilute it?

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Nope. Straight up. nasty tasting!

I routinely dilute my bicitra with atleast 500-1000ml of fruit punch flavored gatorade. The patients all love it. Also, you get to see whether or not your assistant really knows how to maintain cricoid pressure (not that I believe all that much in Sellick's maneuver anways).

No, I just tell the patient to knock it back quickly like a shot to tequilla.

Yup, I say drink it like a shot...LOL

Not an OR nurse, but doesn't diluting it in 500 - 1000ml fluid sort of defeat the purpose of being NPO pre-op?

I was thinking that same exact thing. Why would you give 500ml of PO fluid before surgery?

We only give Bicitra if a patient hasn't been NPO for at least 6 hours. So mainly when we get patients from the ER they have to have Bicitra. We do not give it with anything just straight up like a shot! Adding something does defeat the purpose of being NPO!

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I routinely dilute my bicitra with atleast 500-1000ml of fruit punch flavored gatorade. The patients all love it. Also, you get to see whether or not your assistant really knows how to maintain cricoid pressure (not that I believe all that much in Sellick's maneuver anways).

You are kidding right? 500-1000ml right before surgery. That would totally defeat the idea of being NPO, and greatly increase the chance of aspiration pneumonia/Mendelson's syndrome. It is controversial enough just giving a full dose of bicitra because although bicitra helps neutralize acidity it increases the overall recommended volume of 25cc (0.4ml/kg) in the stomach.

In other words it is not recommended to mix bicitra with anything, if you are using it as a prophylactic antacid prior to surgery.

http://www.asahq.org/Newsletters/1999/09_99/mendelson.html

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Thanks everyone, keep the info comming. Our pharmacy is saying that we have to dilute it in 240 cc water or juice.

No No NO! Don't dilute it! Talk about making anesthesia's job hell on earth!

WHY? That is an awful lot of fluid for an NPO status. I would think anesthesia would have a cow. I wonder what the thought process is for that?

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WHY? That is an awful lot of fluid for an NPO status. I would think anesthesia would have a cow. I wonder what the thought process is for that?

I know I would and I would probably cancel an election C-section or other elective surgery if it was diluted with that much water/juice.

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