Drug Therapy Protocols: Adrenaline

Used for specific medical conditions like cardiac arrest, severe bronchospasm, and shock unresponsive to fluids.

Administered in different concentrations (1:1,000, 1:10,000) and delivery methods (ampoules, auto-injectors) to treat diverse severe conditions.

Adrenaline administered intravenously takes effect quickly, within 30 seconds

The effect of adrenaline usually lasts 5 to 10 minutes.

Adrenaline's half-life is 2 minutes, roughly.

A life-threatening condition where the heart stops beating.

A serious narrowing of the airways in the lungs.

A dangerous condition where fluid treatment doesn't improve blood circulation adequately.

Adrenaline, a natural hormone, mainly acts on alpha (α) and beta (β) receptors, affecting heart rate, muscle contraction, airway dilation, and blood vessel narrowing.

Adrenaline increases heart rate (β1), strengthens the heart's pumping force (β1), and can increase ventricular irritability (β1).

Adrenaline causes bronchodilation (β2), widening the airways for easier breathing.

Adrenaline causes peripheral vasoconstriction (α1), narrowing blood vessels in the extremities, which can increase blood pressure.

Treatment outside the standard scope of practice requires mandatory approval from the QAS Clinical Consultation and Advice Line.

Most circulating adrenaline is broken down by enzymes in the sympathetic nerve endings. It can also be broken down by an enzyme called monoamine oxidase.

Adrenaline has no absolute contraindications, meaning it can be used in emergencies despite other medical conditions.

Adrenaline is available in different concentrations for different routes of administration: 1:1,000 for nebulizers, 1:10,000 and 1:100,000 for low-dose injections.

Adrenaline should be used with caution in cases of hypovolemic shock, concurrent MAOI therapy, and quetiapine toxicity.

Adrenaline is administered through different routes: IM injections (vastus lateralis preferred), IV injections, and nebulizers.

Adrenaline can worsen hypovolemic shock, a condition with low blood volume, as it can increase the heart rate and narrow blood vessels.

Adrenaline can unexpectedly lower blood pressure in cases of massive quetiapine overdose.

Metaraminol is a suitable alternative to adrenaline when paradoxical hypotension occurs.

Adrenaline should be used with caution alongside monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), as they can interact and cause adverse effects.

Adrenaline can worsen effects of quetiapine toxicity. Quetiapine is an antipsychotic medication.

Adrenaline infusions should be administered through a central venous line for maximal effectiveness and safety.

Whenever possible, adrenaline IM injections should be administered in the vastus lateralis muscle for optimized absorption.

All syringes containing adrenaline should be appropriately labelled to avoid confusion and errors.

EpiPen® Auto-injectors come in two dosages: 300 microg for adults and 150 microg for children.

The 1:1,000 (1 mg/mL) concentration of adrenaline should be used for all nebulizer administrations.

Adrenaline is used to treat severe conditions like cardiac arrest, severe bronchospasm (difficulty breathing), and shock that doesn't respond to fluids.

Adrenaline comes in different strengths, like 1:1,000, 1:10,000, and 1:100,000, depending on how it's given (injection, nebulizer).

Adrenaline speeds up your heart rate (beta1), makes your heart pump stronger (beta1), and can make the heart's rhythm more irregular (beta1).

Adrenaline opens up your airways (bronchodilation) to make breathing easier (beta2).

Adrenaline (epinephrine) is used for moderate to severe croup, a condition causing difficulty breathing due to swollen airways.

For croup, 5 mg of adrenaline is given via a nebulizer (NEB).

Adrenaline is used for severe life-threatening bronchospasm (narrowing of airways), especially when patients can only speak in single words or have hemodynamic compromise.

For children 6 years or older, 300 micrograms of adrenaline is given intramuscularly (IM).

For children 1 to 6 years old, 150 micrograms of adrenaline is given intramuscularly (IM).

For babies 6 months to 1 year old, 100 micrograms of adrenaline is given intramuscularly (IM).

For infants under 6 months, 50 micrograms of adrenaline is given intramuscularly (IM).

Adrenaline can be repeated every 5 minutes for severe bronchospasm or croup, with no maximum dose.

Adrenaline is used for shock unresponsive to fluids, where fluids alone haven't improved blood circulation.

For shock, 1 microgram of adrenaline per kilogram of body weight is given intravenously (IV) or intraosseously (IO).