Lovenox Dosing - Abdominal Surgery v. Knee/ Hip Surgery

Nursing Students Student Assist

Published

Wondering if someone can please help me. Everything that I have read about Lovenox - including their own website indicate that Lovenox dosing for abdominal surgeries is q 24 hours and dosing for knee/hip is q 12 hours.

Yet, when I made mention of this in a recent paper I wrote, my instructor told me that abdominal surgical patienrts are also dosed twice a day. When I mentioned I could not find a reference for this, she told me that I should know this because I should check with a pharmacist. She stated that she knows this as she checked with her own pharmacist and a pharmacy school.

Can anyone help me out with this?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

Try talking to a pharmacist. You have already provided the proof and supporting information about once daily for abd sx. You are in a tough spot because you are a student, but in this case I think you are right. Just because she "talked" to a pharmacist doesn't mean that pharmacist is correct either. As an educator she should know that she needs some proof to back up her statement, which seems to me see has nothing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This actually depends on the facility. Some prescribers will split the daily dose and give the Lovenox q12. I've also seen this done lately if the pt is to go home on Lovenox.

You could certainly take your own informal poll of pharmacists at the drug store and your clinical site to see what they have to say.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

ok i pulled out my nurse practitioner's prescribing guide and you are correct!!!! http://www.empr.com

post op dosing: hips/knees are 30 mg sc every 12 hours for 7-10 days. max 14 days.

abdominal: 40 mg sc once daily for 7-10 days max 12 days.

i agree that her statement of checking with one pharmacist is not adequate confirmation.

you will need to back up your appeal. do you have another drug reference? however i do think the lovenox website should suffice.

here is another source from epocrates which many np's/md's use as a prescribers reference.

https://online.epocrates.com/u/1011702/lovenox/adult+dosing

sailornurse, msn, fnp

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment