Pacerone
Pacerone (amiodarone) is a Class III antiarrhythmic medication used to correct and manage serious, life-threatening disturbances in heart rhythm. It affects the electrical activity of heart tissue to restore a regular, steady heartbeat. Due to its high risk of severe toxicities, including pulmonary toxicity, liver injury, and thyroid dysfunction, it is typically initiated in a hospital setting and reserved for patients with life-threatening arrhythmias who do not respond to other therapies.
Dosage by Body Weight
Adult loading doses typically range from 800 mg to 1600 mg daily in divided oral doses for 1 to 3 weeks, followed by a gradual reduction to 600 mg to 800 mg daily for 1 month, and then a maintenance dose of 200 mg to 400 mg daily. Pediatric use is highly specialized, off-label, and must be calculated and monitored exclusively by a pediatric cardiologist.
- Body Weight
- Below 5 kg
- Dose
- Not routinely recommended
- Frequency
- Use only under strict specialist supervision
- Tracking Notes
- Pediatric dosing of amiodarone is highly complex, typically calculated based on body surface area (BSA) or mg/kg under inpatient hospital monitoring. Do not administer without a specialist prescription.
- Body Weight
- 5-7 kg
- Dose
- Not routinely recommended
- Frequency
- Use only under strict specialist supervision
- Tracking Notes
- Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist (typically 10 to 20 mg/kg/day loading dose, tapered to 5 to 10 mg/kg/day maintenance dose if indicated).
- Body Weight
- 8-10 kg
- Dose
- Not routinely recommended
- Frequency
- Use only under strict specialist supervision
- Tracking Notes
- Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist. High risk of severe adverse effects in infants and young children.
- Body Weight
- 11-15 kg
- Dose
- Not routinely recommended
- Frequency
- Use only under strict specialist supervision
- Tracking Notes
- Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist. Safety and efficacy in pediatric populations have not been systematically established.
- Body Weight
- 16-20 kg
- Dose
- Not routinely recommended
- Frequency
- Use only under strict specialist supervision
- Tracking Notes
- Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist. Requires regular monitoring of thyroid, liver, and pulmonary functions.
| Body Weight | Dose | Frequency | Tracking Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below 5 kg | Not routinely recommended | Use only under strict specialist supervision | Pediatric dosing of amiodarone is highly complex, typically calculated based on body surface area (BSA) or mg/kg under inpatient hospital monitoring. Do not administer without a specialist prescription. |
| 5-7 kg | Not routinely recommended | Use only under strict specialist supervision | Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist (typically 10 to 20 mg/kg/day loading dose, tapered to 5 to 10 mg/kg/day maintenance dose if indicated). |
| 8-10 kg | Not routinely recommended | Use only under strict specialist supervision | Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist. High risk of severe adverse effects in infants and young children. |
| 11-15 kg | Not routinely recommended | Use only under strict specialist supervision | Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist. Safety and efficacy in pediatric populations have not been systematically established. |
| 16-20 kg | Not routinely recommended | Use only under strict specialist supervision | Requires individual calculation by a pediatric cardiologist. Requires regular monitoring of thyroid, liver, and pulmonary functions. |
Formulation
Purpose
Treatment of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias, such as recurrent ventricular fibrillation and recurrent hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia, when other treatments have failed or are not tolerated.
Generic Name
AmiodaroneScheduled Drug
No. This medicine is generally not treated as a scheduled/prescription-only drug in common consumer references, but local rules may vary.