Compatibility of amiodarone hydrochloride with vasopressin during simulated Y-site administration

The objective of this study was to determine the compatibility of amiodarone hydrochloride with vasopressin during simulated Y-site administration. Amiodarone hydrochloride is compatible with vasopressin under simulated-use conditions when administered according to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Guidelines. A simulated-use approach is a more appropriate way to evaluate compatibility of drug solutions and to assure safe and adequate drug delivery to the patient, particularly when the drug being evaluated is well-documented to have physical or chemical incompatibility concerns with various drugs. When amiodarone hydrochloride (50 mg/mL) was diluted to 6 mg/mL with 5% dextrose injection, then mixed with an equal volume of vasopressin (0.2 units/mL in normal saline) in a glass test tube, no visual incompatibility was observed for up to 24 hours. The purpose of our study was to assess compatibility of the two drugs under simulated-use conditions and to measure the recovery of amiodarone by high-performance liquid chromatography after sequential administration of vasopressin and amiodarone hydrochloride according to the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Guidelines.