Morphine 2mg carpuject, duramorph

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Oggg

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So we have a national shortage of duramorph, a preservative free morphine. My pharmacy says that the little 2mg/1cc morphine carpujects are also preservative free. Does anyone know of a reason why we can't use the carpujects for intrathecal or epidural injection?
 
So we have a national shortage of duramorph, a preservative free morphine. My pharmacy says that the little 2mg/1cc morphine carpujects are also preservative free. Does anyone know of a reason why we can't use the carpujects for intrathecal or epidural injection?

I'd check the package insert to be sure.
 
Yeah we had two vials of duramorph/astromorph. One was 5mg/10cc, the other was 10mg/10ml. Our standard dose is 0.2mg IT or 2mg EPID, so we were ALWAYS wasting 60-90% of a vial each time. The 2mg/1cc morphine carpuject is confirmed to be preservative free. If we can use the carpuject, we'll cut down a ton on waste. We wouldn't ever need the duramorph anymore except for the dinosaur orthopods who inject 10mg into a joint.
 
Do the carpujecte have a rubber stopper? Is that a reason not to use them?

I think they do -- but I'm not definite because I could be mistaken about the brand here.

Either way, rubber stopper shouldn't matter -- just use a filter needle. It's just annoying going through a rubber stopper when sterile. When we had a shortage of fentanyl ampules, but it was available in vials, we drew up the fentanyl and injected it into a pocket in the epidural tray before putting on sterile gloves.

I always use a filter needle when drawing up meds to be given intrathecally or epidurally. The only thing that should matter would be the presence of a preservative.
 
Want to hear a messed up story regarding duramorph?

I have met "professors" who pontificate that the left over duramorph after neuroaxial cannot be given iv because "it lasts many many hours". The would actually open a regular iv morphine and waste the duramorph.

There must be something special in the preservatives they use to cut its half life.
 
Want to hear a messed up story regarding duramorph?

I have met "professors" who pontificate that the left over duramorph after neuroaxial cannot be given iv because "it lasts many many hours". The would actually open a regular iv morphine and waste the duramorph.

There must be something special in the preservatives they use to cut its half life.

Wow, that's stupid.
 
Ok the head pharmacist says the 2mg/1cc morphine carpuject has EDTA, so it's preservative free but not neurotoxin free
 
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