Skip to content
 
Add note

PALS Core Drugs

Paediatrics Drug Calculator - Starship Hospital


Adrenaline

Indications                                       Dose

Cardiac arrest of any cause

Second-line treatment for cardiogenic shock.

 

As an alternative to external pacing for bradycardia.

10 mcg kg-1  IV / IO  every 3-5 min

 

0.01–0.5 mcg kg-1 min-1

 

0.1–1 mcg kg-1 min-1

 

     Anaphylaxis                   0.15-0.3mg IM or 1mcg kg-1 IV in severe cases

Uses

Adrenaline is available in two dilutions:

·    1 in 10 000 (10 ml contains 1 mg of adrenaline).

·    1 in 1 000 (1 ml contains 1 mg of adrenaline).

During cardiac arrest, if intravascular (IV) access is difficult to be achieved, the IO route is now recommended as an alternative with the same IV dose.

Following the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), adrenaline may induce various arrhythmias like tachycardia (ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) which may lead to myocardial ischaemia. Once a perfusing rhythm is established, and if further adrenaline is required when other inotropic drugs (such as dobutamine) have failed to improve the cardiac output it is then given by infusion, 0.05-1 mcg kg-1 min-1. Start the infusion at a low rate and titrate to the mean arterial pressure and/or cardiac output.

Adrenalin is also indicated for symptomatic bradycardia which has not responded to atropine, and external pacing is unavailable or unsuccessful. The dose range is usually 2–10 mcg min-1.

 

Adrenaline is a direct-acting sympathomimetic amine that possesses both alpha (α) - and beta (β) adrenergic activity. In the dose used in resuscitation, adrenaline stimulates both alpha (α) and beta (ß) receptors to produce peripheral vasoconstriction. This increases systemic vascular resistance (SVR) during CPR and improves both cerebral and coronary perfusion pressures.

In the beating heart, the action of adrenaline on β1 receptors increases heart rate and force of contraction. This increases myocardial oxygen consumption which may worsen ischaemia. Adrenaline increases myocardial excitability and is therefore potentially arrhythmogenic, especially during myocardial ischaemia. Adrenaline may also cause GIT ischaemia.

 


Adrenaline 1:1000 & 1:10,000

Adrenaline mini jet

Inotropic drugs

Epipen, Child/Adult

 
    
Add paper Cornell note Whiteboard Recorder Download Close
PIP mode
Edit page