Like I mentioned today during huddle, my Midyear project this year involves IV Keppra use in the Neuro ICU. As you know, our current standard practice is to administer doses via IVPB over 15 minutes. Nellie previously emailed everyone a few months ago about providers being able to order Keppra IV push x1 administered over 1-2 minutes for acute seizure treatment. Beginning this Wednesday (10/6), all IV Keppra doses up to 2,000 mg will be converted at verification to IV push with an order comment to say "Administer over 2 minutes." This will be limited to patients in 8NE. I have attached a screenshot of what the order verification screen should look like. I have highlighted the product that should be selected ("levetiracetam 100 mg/mL IV Soln 5 mL"), the order comment we will be adding, and the dispense from location, as it should default to the 8NE Pyxis once it is loaded tomorrow.

 

The nursing staff and unit director are aware the temporary change is coming. Since we are limiting this conversion to patients in 8NE, if you happen to see any IV push orders on a patient profile outside of 8NE in the coming weeks, we ask that you go ahead and convert the Keppra back to the IVPB. The unit directors for 8N and 8MST have been made aware that they may be seeing some patients with IV push Keppra orders if the patient is transferred there from 8NE, and RNs may occasionally contact pharmacy in order to get the product changed. I am going to check throughout the day to try and catch any patients that are transferred out on IV push. This conversion will last until we are able to observe a sufficient number of IV push doses administered, and we expect the time period to be 2-3 weeks. I will let you all know when we are no longer converting doses.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!