Oxycodone for a Premie??

UTVOL3 · Apr 21, 2009

I have not. I've been out of the loop for about a year though...

Methadone maybe?

Florida NICU RN · Apr 21, 2009

The infant was receiving both oxycodone and morphine (?!?!?). The MOB as since spoken to the doctor who agreed to put a note on the chart for no more oxycodone. It's bizarre.

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2009

She must be mistaken. The FDA has not approved this drug for peds. Why does this baby need such heavy duty narcs?

Florida NICU RN · Apr 21, 2009

I have no clue. All I know is that it was used and since, there's a note on the infant's chart.

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Apr 22, 2009

Never heard of infants getting oxycodone. Closest thing I've heard was a term surgical infant getting Tylenol w/codeine liquid. Very few narcotics are approved for neonates, usually morphine, fentanyl, rarely demerol. Methadone is used for narcotic withdrawal syndrome. Our docs almost never allow any narcotics (other than the methadone for withdrawal infants) unless an infant's intubated. To a fault sometimes in my opinion. So the reasons that a 35wker would be getting narcotics would seem limited, things like post-surgical pain or sedation for something like PPHN.

Does oxycodone even come in a liquid form? It's been a while since I cared for adults but I remember it being in combo'd with tylenol or aspirin for percodan or percocet, or in a long term release pill well known as oxycontin. None of those would be usable for an infant. OK, I looked it up and it does come in an oral liquid form 10mg/10ml.

Anyway, answer being, I've never heard of a preemie (or term infant) getting oxycodone.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Apr 22, 2009

wow...is she sure that is what it is and not methadone? In almost 25 years, I have never, ever seen that used.