Bluehep Overdosage

Symptoms: Overdose may be manifested by excessive prolongation of the APTT or by bleeding. Bleeding may be internal or external, major or minor. Note: Intramuscular injection (especially in the arm or thigh) and shallow subcutaneous injection is not recommended. The duration of effect is shortened and it is more likely to produce pain and hematoma.
Heparin sodium activity is expressed in USP units and should be prescribed in units only. The route of administration may be I.V. or S.C., depending upon the situation and the choice of the prescriber. Adequate heparin-induced anticoagulant therapy is present when the clotting time is elevated from 2 to 3 times normal as measured by the Lee-White method. Two types of dosage schedule are suggested: Heparin Sodium Injection, USP may be administered intravenously in a dose of 5,000 USP units every 4 hours or in a dose of 10,000 USP units every 6 hours, depending upon the results of a whole blood clotting time test performed at the bedside just prior to each additional dose. If the clotting time is less than twice normal, the next dose is increased by one-third to one-half. If the clotting time is more than 2 1/2 times normal, the next dose is decreased by one-third to one-half. If the clotting time is between 2 and 2 1/2 times normal, the regular dose is repeated.