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Page: Dosing
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Amiodarone is available in oral and intravenous formulations.
Orally, it is available under the trade names Pacerone® (produced by Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc.) and Cordarone® (produced by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories) in 200mg and 400 mg tablets; It is also available under the trade name Aratac® in 100 mg and 200 mg tablets in Australia and New Zealand.
It is also available in intravenous ampules and vials, typically in 150 mg increments.
The dose of amiodarone administered is tailored to the individual and the dysrhythmia that is being treated. When administered orally, the bioavailability of amiodarone is quite variable. Absorption ranges from 22 to 95%, with better absorption when it is given with food.
Amiodarone is fat-soluble, and tends to concentrate in tissues including fat, muscle, liver, lungs, and skin. This confers a high volume of distribution (5000 liters in a 70 kg adult) and a long half-life. Due to the long half-life of amiodarone, oral loading typically takes days to weeks.
An oral loading dose is typically a total of 10 grams, divided over one to two weeks. Once an individual is loaded, a typical maintenance dose of amiodarone is 100 or 200 mg either once or twice daily.
An intravenous loading dose is typically 300 mg in 20-30cc D5W for cardiac arrest. The loading infusion for dysrhythmias is typically 150 mg in a 100cc bag of D5W given over 10 minutes. Both can be followed by a 360 mg slow infusion over 6 hours then a maintenance infusion of 540 mg over 18 hours.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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