subligual Nimodipine

[ennjay]

I've been an ICU nurse for 6+ years. When I first started nursing, we mostly gave nimodipine (Nimotop) sublingual. In the last job I was in (a neurosurgical ICU) I taught a nurse she could give it that way if the pt wasn't able to take PO or didn't have an NGT. She told me recently that she did that and when the doc asked about it, he got upset. He made the leadership people do research to see if it could be given SL. They announced at a staff meeting that it was against policy to give that way and could only be given per NGT or PO. I've looked a little bit, but does anyone else know anything about this?

I'd love to be able to prove this guy wrong.

Thanks.

Nancy

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I too have been working in a neuro ICU, we never have been told we were able to give nimodipine sublingual. I however have punctured the capsules and squeezed the liquid out of them for a pt who couldn't swallow the pills but otherwise swallowed fine.

I am curious too if it can be given sublingual. I have never seen it done.

I have seen pressures drop dramatically after giving by peg or NGT/OGT so maybe they are worried about the BP dropping too fast.