Who can administer
May be administered by registered competent doctor or nurse/midwife
Available preparations
Briviact 50mg per 5ml vial
Reconstitution
Already in solution
Infusion fluids
Sodium chloride 0.9% or Glucose 5%
Methods of intravenous administration
Bolus intravenous injection
- Administer required dose as a bolus injection over at least three minutes (ref 1)
Intermittent intravenous infusion
- Dilute required dose with infusion fluid (suggest 100ml) and administer over 15 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
Dose in adults
Usual dose
- Starting dose: give 25mg or 50mg twice daily
- Based on response and tolerability, the dose may be increased to 100mg twice daily
- There is no experience with use of intravenous formulation for a period longer than four days
Conversion from oral to IV therapy or vice versa
- Maintain the same dose and frequency of administration (ref 1)
- For example 50mg twice daily orally can be switched to 50mg twice daily by intravenous route
Renal impairment
- No dosage adjustment required. Not recommended in dialysis patients, due to a lack of data
Hepatic impairment
- Exposure increased in chronic liver disease, consider a maximum dose of 75mg BD for "all stages of hepatic impairment"
Storage
Store below 250C
References
SPC November 2020
1: Injectable medicines administration guide Medusa. Downloaded 21/10/2021
Therapeutic classification
Anti-epileptic
