Evaluation of the Safety of Slow IV Push Versus Slow IV Infusion Administration of 23.4% Sodium Chloride.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Increased intracranial pressure due to cerebral edema is a medical emergency in which 23.4% sodium chloride (23.4% NaCl) may be a lifesaving intervention. Currently, safety data is limited on slow IV push (IVP) administration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of IVP administration of 23.4% NaCl and determine the number of infusion-related adverse events (IRAEs) compared to slow IV infusion (SIV) administration.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patients who received a dose of 23.4% NaCl at the from January 2015 to June 2020 as either SIV over 30 minutes or IVP over 2-5 minutes.

RESULTS

In total, 81 patients, 55 in the IVP group and 26 in the SIV group, were included in the analysis. There was a significantly faster time from order entry to dose completion (IVP 25 [13,58] vs SIV 73 [55,113] minutes, < .001). There was no difference in IRAEs between the groups (IVP 17 [31%] vs SIV 6 [23%], = .466). Hypotension was most common (IVP 13 [24%] vs SIV 5 [19%], = .656) followed by bradycardia (IVP 6 [11%] vs SIV 1 [4%], = .291). There were no extravasations reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, among a cohort of patients with cerebral edema, we found no difference in the incidence of IRAEs between SIV and IVP administration of 23.4% NaCl, and found a faster time to complete administration fssor the latter. In emergent scenarios where time may impact neurologic function, 23.4% NaCl administered IVP may be an alternative to SIV administration.