How fast to push IV meds

[deemalt]

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone has some general guidelines for pushing IV meds. I have asked around on my unit and I am getting some pretty vague answers. I realize that times may differ for different meds but does anyone have some rules of thumb they use? Some meds I push regularly are lasix, soumedrol, vasotec, dilaudid. I am mostly concerned with the PRN BP meds.

Also, do you always dilute w/ NS? Thanks!

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

We have a binder of listed meds that tells how long to push and if to dilute with NS or not. :) I was shown the binder in my preceptorship as well at another hospital so I assumed all hospitals had them.

[annister]

Your facility probably has a web based program for clinical pharmacology. You should ask. You should never push any med that you dont know its reccomended rate. There are many that seem benign, that if given too quickly can lead to arrhythmias. Zofran, as stated by one of our pharmds, is on of them. Just because it's something you know is for BP, doesn't mean that the only reason you wouldn't push it fast is because of hypotension. Like lasix can cause ototoxicity. And no to diluting everything with normal saline.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Thanks all for your wonderful advise. I think it's great that there are so many experienced nurses willing to share their wisdom...no matter how "weird" questions may seem to some.

I think people forget about the newly acquired nurse here.....sorry

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

Don't you have IV drug guide books where you are in your med rooms? We have them in every Aust drug room (along with MIMS), or they have the guide for hwo to reconstitute regular IV drugs pasted onto the drug cupboard - get a copy from your pharmacy, they should have one.

[FinallyRNStatus, BSN]

As a new nurse I'm constantly trying to understand the difference between time-saving real world practices and what I was taught in nursing school. I come here to better understand the TONS of conflicting information. It is better to be a young nurse asking "weird questions" than the nurse that accepts what floor nurses tell them and become that same nurse USING these unsafe practices! I applaud the person posing this question---it shows critical thinking skills! It's much scarier to be the nurse that has stopped questioning their current practices!