Drug Mixing/Nursing

Amiodarone (link)

- 150mg/3mL per vial

—FIRST 24 HOURS—

Loading infusions
First Rapid:	150 mg over the FIRST 10 minutes (15 mg/min). Add 3 mL of amiodarone I.V. (150 mg) to 100 mL D5W (concentration = 1.5 mg/mL). Infuse 100 mL over 10 minutes.
Followed by Slow:	360 mg over the NEXT 6 hours (1 mg/min). Add 18 mL of amiodarone I.V. (900 mg) to 500 mL D5W (concentration = 1.8 mg/mL).
Maintenance infusion	540 mg over the REMAINING 18 hours (0.5 mg/min). Decrease the rate of the slow loading infusion to 0.5 mg/min.

After the first 24 hours, the maintenance infusion rate of 0.5 mg/min (720 mg/24 hours) should be continued utilizing a concentration of 1 to 6 mg/mL (amiodarone I.V. concentrations greater than 2 mg/mL should be administered via a central venous catheter). In the event of breakthrough episodes of VF or hemodynamically unstable VT, 150 mg supplemental infusions of amiodarone I.V. mixed in 100 mL of D5W may be administered.

Such infusions should be administered over 10 minutes to minimize the potential for hypotension. The rate of the maintenance infusion may be increased to achieve effective arrhythmia suppression.