Hello everyone...need some input.
We just received a referral for a patient needing Dopamine in the home. We have done Dobutamine and Milrinone before and have guidelines for Dopamine up to 5mcg/kg/min. Just got a call from the referral source stating that the pt's dose has been doubled to 10mcg/kg/min. (He cannot tolerate Dobutamine or Milrinone). The hospital wants to discharge him tomorrow...we just got the referral a few hours ago.
Has any home care agency or infusion pharmacy infused Dopamine at this dose? Safety is our first priority...and of course Medicare does not cover any dose above 5 (patient does hava a full secondary).
Any input/thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I do not want to rush into this...
Thanks!
Marianne Valentine, RN, BSN, CRNI
PharmaCare Infusion Services