Route/Dosage

Ventricular Arrhythmias

• PO (Adults): 800–1600 mg/day in 1–2 doses for 1–3 wk, then 600–800 mg/day in 1–2 doses for 1 mo, then 400 mg/day maintenance dose.

• PO (Children): 10 mg/kg/day (800 mg/1.72 m²/day) for 10 days or until response or adverse reaction occurs, then 5 mg/kg/day (400 mg/1.72 m²/day) for several weeks, then decreased to 2.5 mg/kg/day (200 mg/1.72 m²/day) or lowest effective maintenance dose.

• IV (Adults): 150 mg over 10 min, followed by 360 mg over the next 6 hr and then 540 mg over the next 18 hr. Continue infusion at 0.5 mg/min until oral therapy is initiated. If arrhythmia recurs, a small loading infusion of 150 mg over 10 min should be given; in addition, the rate of the maintenance infusion may be increased.
Conversion to initial oral therapy—If duration of IV infusion was <1 wk, oral dose should be 800–1600 mg/day; if IV infusion was 1–3 wk, oral dose should be 600–800 mg/day; if IV infusion was >3 wk, oral dose should be 400 mg/day.
ACLS guidelines for pulseless VFib/VTach—300 mg IV push, may repeat once after 3–5 min with 150 mg IV push (maximum cumulative dose 2.2 g/24 hr; unlabeled).

• IV, Intraosseous (Children and infants):
PALS guidelines for pulseless VFib/VTach5 mg/kg as a bolus;
perfusion tachycardia—5 mg/kg loading dose over 20–60 min (maximum of 15 mg/kg/day; unlabeled).

• PO (Adults): 600–800 mg/day for 1 wk or until desired response occurs or side effects develop, then decrease to 400 mg/day for 3 wk, then maintenance dose of 200–400 mg/day.

• PO (Children): 10 mg/kg/day (800 mg/1.72 m²/day) for 10 days or until response or side effects occur, then 5 mg/kg/day (400 mg/1.72 m²/day) for several weeks, then decreased to 2.5 mg/kg/day (200 mg/1.72 m²/day) or lowest effective maintenance dose.

amiodarone is a sample topic found in Davis's Drug Guide. All other sections of this record are viewable by clicking on the index in the left column, or by clicking on "Display all Sections" in the "Content Manager".

To find other Davis's Drug Guide topics, please login or purchase a subscription.