IV Bolus question

[creichelt]

A question was asked regarding max flow rates for a piggyback IV bolus for an experimental new cardiac drug. The protocol calls for single delivery of 50 mL in 5 minutes ( 10 mL/min) using an infusion pump. The patient population would range in ages from about 25 to a max of 75 and would be treated for stable, but chronic heart failure. Is this dosage rate reasonable for that population?

[MN BigJ]

50ml in 5 minutes?? sure but what is the drug or atleast what is it supposed to do?

[ERjodiRN]

yeah it's only 50ml's so 5 min is fine......but ya, it totally depends on the drug and what it's supposed to do.

[sicushells, RN]

If it's an experimental new cardiac drug... then how would we know? Sincerely, the pharmacist/chemist/company who is developing the drug and trialling it should be giving dosage/rate recommendations. (right? I've never been involved in a medication trial)

[athena55, BSN, RN]

If it's an experimental new cardiac drug... then how would we know? Sincerely, the pharmacist/chemist/company who is developing the drug and trialling it should be giving dosage/rate recommendations. (right? I've never been involved in a medication trial)

Yes, you are correct. If it is a double-blind study then you should have been given a set of instructions as to general "hoped-for" benefit, side and possible adverse effects, subject identifiers or variables (such as: specific disease, age range, which MTF's are conducting the studies, which patient-type would be excluded from the study...) and a set schedule on which patient is to receive either the "study drug" or the "placebo". Of course, you all wouldn't or shouldn't know which drug you would be administering, neither should the patient who has signed on to be a participant in the study.

Back in the day the large oncology hospital that I worked in, as a civilian, did MANY double-blind studies on different chemotherapeutic agents, high-frequency ventilators, etc. Always had a start and end time line.

Sounds interesting.

[creichelt]

Ok, this isn't a question about clinical design protocol or durg specifications. Let me re-phrase the question...

If I needed to deliver 50 ml of normal saline in 5 minutes to a 75 year old patient is this rate generally doable? Generally is the key word here, which excludes the caveats. Yes or no answer.

[nminodob]

Unless I am confused about what you're asking, the answer is yes it is doable - 50cc of NS in 5 miinutes is 600ml/hour.

Even with CHF, 50cc is not a great deal of fluid -

[creichelt]

No confusion, thanks.