Medication 7-197 - Cardizem (Diltiazem)

CMH EMS & MIH Protocols

Scope of Practice:

• Registered Nurse
• Paramedic
• Community Paramedic

Route(s):

• IO, IV,

Pharmacodynamics (class and mechanism of action):

• Calcium channel blocker (Slows conduction through the AV node).

Pharmacokinetics:

• Half-life: 3-9 hours.
• Onset time: 2 minutes.
• Peak action time: 2-7 minutes.
• Duration of action: 1-10 hours.

• Peak	33	66	99	132	165	198	231	264	297	330	363	minutes
  Duration	33	66	99	132	165	198	231	264	297	330	363	minutes

Dosing:

• Refer to specific protocol(s) below for dose(s).

Indications:

• Protocol 2-858 - Supraventricular Tachycardia.

Contraindications:

• Heart blocks.
• Conduction disturbances.
• Wolff-Parkinson White. Perform a 12-lead to rule out WPW before administration.
• Congestive heart failure.
• Hypotension.
• Should not be used in patients receiving IV Beta-Blockers.

Pregnancy Risk Factor:

• Category C
• Risk not ruled out: Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus and there are no adequate and well-controlled studies in humans, but potential benefits may warrant use of the drug in pregnant women despite potential risks. FDA requires a relatively large amount of high-quality data on a pharmaceutical for it to be defined as Pregnancy Category A. As a result of this, many drugs that would be considered Pregnancy Category A in other countries are allocated to Category C by the FDA.

Potential Incompatibilities:

• NA.

Precautions and Adverse Effects:

• May cause hypotension, Nausea, Vomiting, dizziness, Bradycardia, flushing, headache, heart block, and/or Cardiac Arrest.

Antidote:

• Medication 7-175 - Calcium Chloride.
• Medication 7-384 - Glucagon.

Controlled Substance Information:

• Not a scheduled drug
• The DEA and FDA have not identified this drug with a schedule classification.
• DEA number: NA.
• Narcotic: No.
• Street names: NA.

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Polk, Hickory, Cedar, & St Clair County EMS Protocols is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.