QUESTION: I have a patient I would like to give IV Phosphatidyl Choline to, but I have never done it before. Help?
ANSWER: PTC is a little tricky to do. As a lipid it has to be admin alone (i.e. no other additives) in D5W or NS (depends on what your pharmacy recommends). If you use it you can do it in series with other IV’s, but you have to flush the line between the water soluble IV’s and the PTC. If this is a push no big deal really, a small quantity of NS or D5 in a syringe to flush between is fine. Problem with a push is you have to keep the dose low and do a hemodilution protocol with the PTC where you have the PTC in the syringe, then draw some blood and mix them – then push the whole mix back in slowly. Some people will use a small dose of Heparin with this to avoid clotting. Doses for pushes can be 5-15 mg.