Who can administer
May be administered by registered competent doctor or nurse/midwife
Important information
- See monitoring section re INR monitoring
Available preparations
Cernevit vial
Reconstitution
Water for injection
5ml per vial
Infusion fluids
Sodium chloride 0.9% or Glucose 5%
Methods of intravenous administration
Intermittent Intravenous infusion (preferred route)
- Can be given in 100ml infusion fluid (ref 1) but it must be administered over least 10 minutes
- A 50ml infusion may be used if required (eg fluid restriction) but the residual volume in the infusion line must be flushed through at the same rate to avoid significant underdosing
Slow Intravenous Injection
- Administer over at least 10 minutes
Dose in adults
Usual dose
Monitoring
- Watch INR in patients on long-term treatment as Cernevit does NOT contain Vitamin K
- Therefore a hypocoagulable state is possible, particularly in patients on long-term treatment with Cernevit, without separate administration of Vitamin K
- Monitor LFTs
- Check B12 levels- as deficiency may require higher doses than that contained in Cernevit
- Monitor for Vitamin toxicity, particularly in patients receiving long-term supplementation
Further information
Each vial contains the equivalent of:
| Retinol (as retinol palmitate) |
3,500 units |
| Cholecalciferol |
220 units |
| Alpha-tocopherol |
11.2 units |
| Ascorbic acid |
125mg |
| Thiamine (as co-carboxylase tetrahydrate) |
3.51mg |
| Riboflavin (as riboflavin dihydrated sodium phosphate) |
4.14mg |
| Pyridoxine (as pyridoxine hydrochloride) |
4.53mg |
| Cyanocobalamin |
6 micrograms |
| Folic acid |
414 micrograms |
| Pantothenic acid (as dexpanthenol) |
17.25mg |
| Biotin |
69 micrograms |
| Nicotinamide |
46mg |
NB: No vitamin K contained
Storage
Store below 250C
References
SPC September 2019
1. UKCPA, Minimum infusion volumes 4th Edition
Therapeutic classification
Intravenous nutrition
