IV Push...please help!

Nursing Students Student Assist

Published

I'm very confused about finding IV push rates. I look them up in my drug book, but I keep feeling like it's missing information even though I bought the one that's on the syllabus. Here's some I have found (most in my drug book), and I'm hoping someone can tell me if I'm right:

Zofran: (from drug book) 4mg undiluted over 2-5 minutes

Toradol: book says push over 15 seconds, but my instructor told me that they prefer to push it over a minute, and that you would only push it over 15 seconds if someone needed it in an emergency.

Solumedrol: book says push over a minute

Benadryl: book says do not exceed 25 mg/min but offers no other guidelines; it's only available in 50mg/mL, so you would just push that mL over 2 minutes right?

Demerol: I can't seem to find anything in my drug book about this one...I don't know if I'm overlooking something or not

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Does your hospital where you do clinicals have a drug manual? They should give you the rate which you push certain drugs. That's the resource I use at work

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We haven't started this semester's clinicals yet. We're supposed to look these up in our drug books to use for a check-off before clinicals even start. I can't get a straight answer on exactly where to find them other than the drug book on the syllabus.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yes, follow your drug book. If it says 4mg of zofran over 2-5 minutes, then push 4mg over 2-5 minutes (I push it over 2 minutes all the time, by the way). What about if the doctor orders 8mg zofran IV? Well, give it over 4 minutes.

You say..."Benadryl: book says do not exceed 25 mg/min but offers no other guidelines; it's only available in 50mg/mL, so you would just push that mL over 2 minutes right?" Yes, you are correct 50mg/ml would be given over 2 minutes. However, the doctor orders 25mg. So, give 25mg, which would be 0.5 of the 50mg/ml vial. Right? So, give that 25mg/0.5ml over one minutes. I personally would give it over 2 minutes. If given too fast it can shoot your patients heart rate up!!

I use medscape on my phone and lexicomp on my hospital computer all the time. I also use it for compatibility with other meds, precautions, and what to dilute meds with when needed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you!

Yes, follow your drug book. If it says 4mg of zofran over 2-5 minutes, then push 4mg over 2-5 minutes (I push it over 2 minutes all the time, by the way). What about if the doctor orders 8mg zofran IV? Well, give it over 4 minutes.

You say..."Benadryl: book says do not exceed 25 mg/min but offers no other guidelines; it's only available in 50mg/mL, so you would just push that mL over 2 minutes right?" Yes, you are correct 50mg/ml would be given over 2 minutes. However, the doctor orders 25mg. So, give 25mg, which would be 0.5 of the 50mg/ml vial. Right? So, give that 25mg/0.5ml over one minutes. I personally would give it over 2 minutes. If given too fast it can shoot your patients heart rate up!!

I use medscape on my phone and lexicomp on my hospital computer all the time. I also use it for compatibility with other meds, precautions, and what to dilute meds with when needed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.

I get this information from the Pharmacy. When I worked in the hospital, Pharmacy would edit the orders on our eMAR to indicate how long a medication should be infused over. This was pediatrics so we ran almost everything on a pump, including something like cefazolin that was to be infused over 3 minutes. The reason for giving toradol over 1 minute instead of rapidly pushing it is that it burns with rapid administration. At least that's what I've always been told, I've never had it myself. I can't imagine a situation where someone would need toradol emergently.

Nowadays, if I have to teach one of my young adult patients IVP administration for home IV antibiotics, my Pharmacist tells me how fast they should push it. Usually it's 5 minutes.

If you're working at a hospital, they should have a formulary that contains this information. Sometimes they make up their own guidelines. For example, standard infusion time for vanco is 1 hr, 2 hrs if the patient has a Redman's reaction. The hospital I liaise at came up with something new a few months ago where, for patients weighing

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment