Intravenous infusion drip rate

Intravenous infusion is a practice that everyone often undergoes when they are sick and go to the hospital. This practice can quickly replenish the drug into the blood and treat the disease in a timely manner. The drip rate of intravenous infusion cannot be too fast, as it will affect the absorption of the medicine. It is best to have more than 100 drops per minute. The drip rate is determined according to the severity of the disease. Everyone should understand this.

1. Rescue and rehydration of patients:

1. If the patient is in shock and needs blood volume replenishment, we should quickly replenish the effective blood volume and quickly infuse 0.9% sodium chloride injection, low molecular weight dextran, whole blood or plasma, albumin, etc. in a short period of time to maintain effective venous return.

2. If the patient is severely dehydrated, as long as his cardiopulmonary function is good, the infusion speed should be fast during rescue treatment.

To sum up: as long as the cardiopulmonary function is good, the infusion rate for rescuing the patient can be more than 100 drops per minute. If the rate is too slow, it will not help with shock.

2. If there is increased intracranial pressure or cerebral hemorrhage:

With mannitol, we should give a rapid intravenous infusion. For example, 250 mL of 20% mannitol injection should generally be infused within 15-30 minutes, otherwise it will not achieve the effect of reducing intracranial pressure.

3. β-amide antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins)

In order to improve the efficacy and give full play to its bactericidal advantages during the reproductive period, high-concentration rapid intravenous infusion can be adopted, which can also reduce the degradation of the drug. For example, penicillin antibiotics should be dissolved in 100 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride liquid and infused within 30-60 minutes. Note: We have discussed high concentrations before, but the concentration of the solution should not be too high (generally 10,000-40,000 U/mL) too quickly, so as to avoid excessive blood drug concentrations in the central nervous system leading to various neurotoxic reactions, such as drowsiness, neurological confusion and hallucinations, convulsions, coma, and even death from encephalopathy.

4. When atropine is used to treat organophosphorus pesticide poisoning:

In order to rapidly exert the therapeutic effect, achieve atropineization as soon as possible, and improve the rescue treatment effect, it is necessary to increase the drip rate and concentration (except for patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases).

5. The infusion speed for patients of different ages is different:

Generally speaking, the infusion rate for adults is 40-60 drops/minute. Children and the elderly have poor physical functions, so the infusion rate should not be too fast, usually not exceeding 20-40 drops/minute.

6. Different infusion speeds for different conditions:

For patients with heart (especially heart failure) or lung disease, the infusion rate should be slow. If it is too fast, too much fluid will enter the human body per unit time, causing heart load and causing acute heart failure and pulmonary edema.

7. Different drugs are different:

1. Some drugs require strict control of the infusion speed, such as nitrates. Commonly used drugs are nitroglycerin and isosorbide mononitrate. The infusion speed is generally about 15 drops per minute. If the infusion speed is too fast, the dose of drug entering the body per unit time will be too much and too large, which will cause adverse reactions, such as decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, facial flushing, etc.

2. Some drugs require strict control of the infusion speed. For example, when potassium chloride is infused intravenously, a too fast speed will cause greater stimulation to the blood vessels and the patient will feel pain. On the other hand, a sudden rise in blood potassium and excessively high blood potassium levels will inhibit myocardial activity, which can cause cardiac arrest and endanger life in severe cases. Therefore, the infusion speed of potassium chloride should be less than 30-40 drops per minute.

3. Some drugs require strict control of the infusion speed. For quinolone drugs such as levofloxacin injection, the infusion speed should not be too fast, otherwise it may cause vasculitis stimulation, leading to local pain and phlebitis.

4. Some drugs require strict control of the infusion speed. For example, when oxytocin is used to induce or accelerate labor, the infusion speed should not be too fast. Generally, 2.5-5 units are diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride injection to contain 0.01 unit in 1 mL. At the beginning of intravenous drip, the rate should not exceed 0.001-0.002 units per minute, and increase by 0.001-0.002 units every 15-30 minutes until uterine contractions are similar to normal delivery. The fastest rate should not exceed 0.02 units per minute, and usually it is 0.002-0.005 units per minute. Control postpartum bleeding at an intravenous drip rate of 0.02-0.04 units per minute. The intravenous drip rate can be slightly faster after the placenta is expelled.