Guidelines for continuous infusion medications in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Objective: To present practical guidelines in tabular form for dosage, calculation, preparation, and monitoring of common medications administered by continuous infusion to neonatal intensive care patients.

Data Sources: Review articles and clinical trials were identified through a computer literature search with subsequent bibliography scanning.

Study Selection: Articles selected for review were considered important contributions.

Data Extraction: Data from human studies and review articles published in the English language were evaluated.

Data Synthesis: In emergency situations, physicians and other healthcare providers caring for critically ill newborns often perform rapid calculations to determine the dosage and rate of continuous intravenous medication infusions. Because of the crisis situation, there is the potential for calculation errors. We compiled a concise table designed to provide a standardized method for the administration of emergency medications to neonatal intensive care patients. This table must be used in conjunction with clinical judgment and each medication infusion rate must be adjusted to the patient's clinical response and individual parameters.

Conclusions: These guidelines help to minimize the volume of fluid needed for medication administration and facilitate the calculation, preparation, and timely administration of these medications, thus preventing errors that might occur in an emergency situation.