Abstract
The low birth weight infant graduating from critical to intermediate growing care is oftentimes placed on medications which when added to standard formulas exceed a safe osmotic load (400 mOsm/kg H2O).
Oral and parenteral preparations of the seven most common medications used in our nursery were added to Similac with Iron .(Ross Laboratories, Colombus, Ohio, osmolality 292 mOsm/kg H2O) in all possible combinations. These included: Furosemide, Aminophylline, Multivitamins, Vitamin E, Potassium Chloride, Digoxin and Phenobarbital.
The osmolalities of the formula were measured with added oral or parenteral medications. The parenteral medications added contained the same amount of ordered medication but the smaller volumes used afforded a lower osmolality. The osmolalities of the 127 samples were:
It may be necessary to calculate the osmolalities of medications added to the formula of growing premature infants and consider using parenteral preparations in order to decrease the final osmolality of the material.
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Martin, G., Jacks, R., Snider, W. et al. HYPEROSMOIALITY OF FORMULAS USED IN THE NICU AFTER THE ADDITION OF ORAL OR PARENTERAL MEDICATIONS. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 334 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01444
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-01444
