Medication 7-943 - Vecuronium (Norcuron)

CMH EMS & MIH Protocols

Scope of Practice:

• Registered Nurse
• Paramedic
• Community Paramedic

Route(s):

• IO, IV,

Pharmacodynamics (class and mechanism of action):

• Paralytic (Non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker).

Pharmacokinetics:

• Half-life: 51-80 minutes.
• Onset time: 1 minute.
• Peak action time: 3-5 minutes.
• Duration of action: 15-25 minutes.

• Peak	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	minutes
  Duration	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	minutes

Dosing:

• Use IDEAL body weight for dosing, NOT actual body weight.
• Refer to specific protocol(s) below for dose(s).

Indications:

• Not in current standing order protocols.

Contraindications:

• Unable to ventilate.
• Sensitivity to bromides.

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:

• None.

Precautions and Adverse Effects:

• Calculate dose based on IDEAL body weight.
• Does not have any analgesic or sedative effects. Sedation must accompany paralysis.
• Use caution with impaired liver function, severe obesity, and impaired respiratory function.
• May cause arrhythmias, Bronchospasm, Hypertension, hypotension, apnea, Dyspnea, Tachycardia, and Uticaria.

Antidote:

• None.

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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CMH Mobile Integrated Healthcare Mission: "Provide exceptional, compassionate, and patient-centered care by a mobile collaborative team to improve patient experience, improve quality outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs."

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