Dilaudid Injection Dosage

Important Dosage and Administration Instructions

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​DILAUDID INJECTION should be prescribed only by healthcare professionals who are knowledgeable about the use of opioids and how to mitigate the associated risks.

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​Use the lowest effective dosage for the shortest duration of time consistent with individual patient treatment goals. Because the risk of overdose increases as opioid doses increase, reserve titration to higher doses of DILAUDID INJECTION for patients in whom lower doses are insufficiently effective and in whom the expected benefits of using a higher dose opioid clearly outweigh the substantial risks.

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​Many acute pain conditions (e.g., the pain that occurs with a number of surgical procedures or acute musculoskeletal injuries) require no more than a few days of an opioid analgesic. Clinical guidelines on opioid prescribing for some acute pain conditions are available.

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​There is variability in the opioid analgesic dose and duration needed to adequately manage pain due both to the cause of pain and to individual patient factors. Initiate the dosing regimen for each patient individually, taking into account the patient’s underlying cause and severity of pain, prior analgesic treatment and response, and risk factors for addiction, abuse, and misuse.

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​Respiratory depression can occur at any time during opioid therapy, especially when initiating and following dosage increases with DILAUDID INJECTION. Consider this risk when selecting an initial dose and when making dose adjustments.

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​Inspect parenteral drug products visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. A slight yellowish discoloration may develop in DILAUDID INJECTION. No loss of potency has been demonstrated. DILAUDID INJECTION is physically compatible and chemically stable for at least 24 hours at 25°C, protected from light in most common large-volume parenteral solutions.

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​Discard any unused portion in an appropriate manner.

Initial Dosage

Dosage Modifications in Patients with Hepatic Impairment

Start patients with hepatic impairment on one-fourth to one-half the usual DILAUDID INJECTION starting dose depending on the extent of impairment.

Dosage Modifications in Patients with Renal Impairment

Start patients with renal impairment on one-fourth to one-half the usual DILAUDID INJECTION starting dose depending on the degree of impairment.

Titration and Maintenance of Therapy

​Titrate the dose based upon the individual patient’s response to their initial dose of DILAUDID INJECTION. Individually titrate DILAUDID INJECTION to a dose that provides adequate analgesia and minimizes adverse reactions. Continually reevaluate patients receiving DILAUDID INJECTION to assess the maintenance of pain control, signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal, and other adverse reactions, as well as monitoring for the development of addiction, abuse, or misuse. Frequent communication is important among the prescriber, other members of the healthcare team, the patient, and the caregiver/family during periods of changing analgesic requirements, including initial titration.

​If the level of pain increases after dosage stabilization, attempt to identify the source of increased pain before increasing the DILAUDID INJECTION dosage. If after increasing the dosage, unacceptable opioid-related adverse reactions are observed (including an increase in pain after a dosage increase), consider reducing the dosage. Adjust the dosage to obtain an appropriate balance between management of pain and opioid-related adverse reactions.

Safe Reduction or Discontinuation of DILAUDID INJECTION

When a patient who has been taking DILAUDID INJECTION regularly and may be physically dependent no longer requires therapy with DILAUDID INJECTION, taper the dose gradually, by 25% to 50% every 2 to 4 days, while monitoring carefully for signs and symptoms of withdrawal. If the patient develops these signs or symptoms, raise the dose to the previous level and taper more slowly, either by increasing the interval between decreases, decreasing the amount of change in dose, or both. Do not abruptly discontinue DILAUDID INJECTION in a physically-dependent patient.