Jump to content

Amiodarone Vs. Lidocaine


AMESEMT

Recommended Posts

I am doing a paper on Amiodarone for my paramedic class. I wanted to include some of the reasons services do not or did not carry amiodarone. Links to sites would be great so that way I can cite them (if there are any). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Ames

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 21
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Don't know much about it, but LACoFD recently switched over from Lidocaine to Amiodarone. Heard it was cheaper, harder to screw up...but also less effective and fewer indications for it. But that's just what people were talking about...no idea if it's valid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look for the retail price of the two drugs. Amiodarone was significantly more expensive than lidocaine, but I believe that now the two are closer in price. The need for PVC is only if amiodarone is being used for a continuous infusion over 24 hours. In the prehospital environment, the "leeching" effect is much less of a problem.

Amiodarone has much more clinical indications than lidocaine due to it's broader mechanism of action. A standard drug profile of both will give you this information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amidodarone has a significantly higher rescusitation rate in the field, however, survival rates to discharge are not different from lidocaine.

Amidiodarone can be used for most tachy arrythmias, not just ventricular dysrhythmias. The dosing is pretty easy - but it does have to go in over 10 minutes or so - and sometimes you don't have 10 minutes. Pretty good drug really.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It helps a lot. Thanks for the info/ideas. USAPride2004 - Is this before it started to come in premixed glass (forgot the true name for them) syringes?

We just got it in RI pretty recently, and my company gives us enough for a one time 300 mg bolus. We have 2- 150 mg vials. We are required to have PVC everything to give it as a drip by protocol, and we need a pump for it as well. We don't have the PVC free stuff, or the pumps... so no drips for us. We can give the bolus through a standard IV line, however.

I haven't seen the premixed glass vials thus far, but as I said, it's still pretty new around here, and it's still a med-control option, which is code for everyone is still going to use Lido.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To use amiodarone you are supposed to have two lines going and one dediacted for amiodarone because it can crystalize up. Last time I checked crystals going into the blood stream are frowned upon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...