 |
Natrecor Dosage
Generic name: nesiritide
Dosage form: injection, powder, lyophilized, for solution
This dosage information does not include all the information needed to use Natrecor safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for Natrecor.
The information at Drugs.com is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist.
NATRECOR® (nesiritide) is for intravenous (IV) use only. There is limited experience with administering NATRECOR® for longer than 96 hours. Monitor blood pressure closely during NATRECOR® administration.
Recommended Dosage
The recommended dose of NATRECOR® is an IV bolus of 2 mcg/kg followed by a continuous infusion of 0.01 mcg/kg/min. Do not initiate NATRECOR® at a dose that is above the recommended dose.
The loading dose may not be appropriate for those with low systolic blood pressure (SBP) <110 mm Hg or for patients recently treated with afterload reducers.
The administration of the recommended dose of NATRECOR® is a two step process:
Step 1. Administration of the IV Bolus
After preparation of the infusion bag [see Dosage and Administration (2.3)], withdraw the bolus volume (see Table 1) from the NATRECOR® infusion bag, and administer it over approximately 60 seconds through an IV port in the tubing.
Bolus Volume (mL) = Patient Weight (kg) / 3
| Patient Weight (kg) | Volume of Bolus (mL=kg/3) |
|---|---|
| 60 | 20.0 |
| 70 | 23.3 |
| 80 | 26.7 |
| 90 | 30.0 |
| 100 | 33.3 |
| 110 | 36.7 |
Step 2. Administration of the Continuous Infusion
Immediately following the administration of the bolus, infuse NATRECOR® at a flow rate of 0.1 mL/kg/hr. This will deliver a NATRECOR® infusion dose of 0.01 mcg/kg/min.
To calculate the infusion flow rate to deliver a 0.01 mcg/kg/min dose, use the following formula (see Table 2):
Infusion Flow Rate (mL/hr) = Patient Weight (kg) × 0.1
| Patient Weight (kg) | Infusion Flow Rate (mL/hr) |
|---|---|
| 60 | 6 |
| 70 | 7 |
| 80 | 8 |
| 90 | 9 |
| 100 | 10 |
| 110 | 11 |
Dose Adjustments
The dose-limiting side effect of NATRECOR® is hypotension. If hypotension occurs during the administration of NATRECOR®, reduce the dose of or discontinue NATRECOR® and initiate other measures to support blood pressure (IV fluids, changes in body position). When symptomatic hypotension occurs, discontinue NATRECOR®. Because hypotension caused by NATRECOR® may be prolonged (up to hours), a period of observation may be necessary before restarting the drug. NATRECOR® may be subsequently restarted at a dose that is reduced by 30% (with no bolus administration) once the patient has stabilized.
Do not up-titrate NATRECOR® more frequently than every 3 hours. Use central hemodynamic monitoring and do not exceed 0.03 mcg/kg/min.
Preparation and Administration Instructions
The NATRECOR® bolus must be drawn from the prepared infusion bag. Prime the IV tubing with 5 mL of the solution for infusion prior to connecting to the patient's vascular access port and prior to administering the bolus or starting the infusion.
- Reconstitute one 1.5 mg vial of NATRECOR® by adding 5 mL of diluent removed from a pre-filled 250 mL plastic IV bag containing the diluent of choice. After reconstitution of the vial, each mL contains 0.32 mg of nesiritide. The following preservative-free diluents are recommended for reconstitution: 5% Dextrose Injection (D5W), USP; 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP; 5% Dextrose and 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP, or 5% Dextrose and 0.2% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP.
- Do not shake the vial. Rock the vial gently so that all surfaces, including the stopper, are in contact with the diluent to ensure complete reconstitution. Use only a clear, essentially colorless solution.
- Withdraw the entire contents of the reconstituted NATRECOR® vial and add to the 250 mL plastic IV bag. This will yield a solution with a concentration of NATRECOR® of approximately 6 mcg/mL. Invert the IV bag several times to ensure complete mixing of the solution.
- Use the reconstituted solution within 24 hours, as NATRECOR® contains no antimicrobial preservative. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. Reconstituted vials of NATRECOR® may be stored at 2 to 25°C (36 to 77°F) for up to 24 hours.
Chemical/Physical Interactions
NATRECOR® is physically and/or chemically incompatible with injectable formulations of heparin, insulin, ethacrynate sodium, bumetanide, enalaprilat, hydralazine, and furosemide. Do not co-administer these drugs with NATRECOR® through the same IV catheter. The preservative sodium metabisulfite is incompatible with NATRECOR®. Do not administer injectable drugs that contain sodium metabisulfite in the same infusion line as NATRECOR®. Flush the catheter between administration of NATRECOR® and incompatible drugs.
NATRECOR® binds to heparin and therefore could bind to the heparin lining of a heparin-coated catheter, decreasing the amount of NATRECOR® delivered to the patient for some period of time. Therefore, do not administer NATRECOR® through a central heparin-coated catheter. Concomitant administration of a heparin infusion through a separate catheter is acceptable.
