Help. I work in a NICU and had a nasty Dopamine extravasation last week. I felt frustrated because when I attempted to open a conversation about changing the practice of routinely running Dopamine peripherally, I was told by our clinical educator that peripheral Dopamine is proven safe particularly in infants. Can this possibly be true?
No it is not true. I am not aware of any neonatal literature, but here is an article about Dopamine:
1. Dugger B. Peripheral dopamine infusions: Are they worth the risk of infiltration? Journal of Intravenous Nursing. 1997;20(2):95-99.
Infiltration and extravasation is the most frequent cause of lawsuits in infusion therapy. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Maybe you should ask her to show you her "proof".
The pH is 2.5-4.5 depending on the manufacturer......has nothing to do with age group and safety. You cannot change it's pH without adding base, which NOBODY is doing, probably because it's unstable or ineffective or something....
Nina Elledge, RN, MBA, CRNI
[email protected]
Nina Elledge, RN, MBA, CRNI
[email protected]
I agree that the educator needs to support her stance that it is safe practice in neonates. It is a vesicant and any evidence that refutes that in neonates should be easily supported (if it is true).
Gwen Irwin
Austin, Texas