Formulary
Diamorphine Hydrochloride: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Diamorphine Hydrochloride clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Diamorphine Hydrochloride: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Diamorphine Hydrochloride clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Acute or chronic pain for diamorphine hydrochloride**
- **Child 1 month-11 years** (By mouth): 100-200 micrograms/kg every 4 hours (max. per dose 10 mg), adjusted according to response.
- **Child 12-17 years** (By mouth): 5-10 mg every 4 hours, adjusted according to response.
- **Child 1 month-11 years** (By continuous intravenous infusion): 12.5-25 micrograms/kg/hour, adjusted according to response.
- **Child 1-2 months** (By intravenous injection): 20 micrograms/kg every 6 hours, adjusted according to response.
- **Child 3-5 months** (By intravenous injection): 25-50 micrograms/kg every 6 hours, adjusted according to response.
- **Child 6-11 months** (By intravenous injection): 75 micrograms/kg every 4 hours, adjusted according to response.
- **Child 1-11 years** (By intravenous injection): 75-100 micrograms/kg every 4 hours (max. per dose 5 mg), adjusted according to response.
- **Child 12-17 years** (By intravenous injection): 2.5-5 mg every 4 hours, adjusted according to response.
- **Child 12-17 years** (By intramuscular injection, or by subcutaneous injection): 5 mg every 4 hours, adjusted according to response.
**Acute or chronic pain in ventilated neonates for diamorphine hydrochloride**
- **Neonate** (Initially by intravenous injection): Initially 50 micrograms/kg, dose to be administered over 30 minutes, followed by (by continuous intravenous infusion) 15 micrograms/kg/hour, adjusted according to response.
**Acute or chronic pain in non-ventilated neonates for diamorphine hydrochloride**
- **Neonate** (By continuous intravenous infusion): 2.5-7 micrograms/kg/hour, adjusted according to response.
**Acute severe nociceptive pain in an emergency setting (specialist supervision in hospital) for diamorphine hydrochloride**
- **Child 2-15 years (body-weight 12-17 kg)** (By intranasal administration): 1.44 mg for 1 dose, spray into alternate nostrils.
- **Child 2-15 years (body-weight 18-23 kg)** (By intranasal administration): 2.16 mg for 1 dose, spray into alternate nostrils.
- **Child 2-15 years (body-weight 24-29 kg)** (By intranasal administration): 2.88 mg for 1 dose, spray into alternate nostrils.
- **Child 2-15 years (body-weight 30-39 kg)** (By intranasal administration): 3.2 mg for 1 dose, spray into alternate nostrils.
- **Child 2-15 years (body-weight 40-50 kg)** (By intranasal administration): 4.8 mg for 1 dose, spray into alternate nostrils.
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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