CAFFEINE CITRATE

CONTENT

Purpose of Caffeine Citrate

Side effects

Giving the medicine

Missed or vomited dose

Call the doctor if…

Special Instructions

The prescription

PURPOSE OF CAFFEINE CITRATE

  1. Stimulates the breathing center in the brain.
  1. Used to treat apnea (stop breathing for more than 20 seconds) in the premature infant.

SIDE EFFECTS

1.Fast heart rate.

  1. Fussiness, wakefulness, irritability.
  1. Nausea and vomiting.

GIVING THE MEDICINE

  1. Draw the medicine up in a syringe.
  1. Add the medicine to ½ ounce of formula to prevent choking the baby or stomach upset.

MISSED OR VOMITED DOSE

  1. The medicine should be given as ordered by the baby’s doctor.
  1. If you forget a dose, give the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time.
  1. Do not make up for a missed dose by doubling or increasing the next dose.
  1. One missed dose is usually not a problem.
  1. If the baby vomits the dose within 1 hours of giving the medicine or you have any questions, CALL THE BABY’S DOCTOR FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND ASSISTANCE.
  1. If the baby vomits the dose after 1 hours of giving the medicine or you have any questions, again, CALL THE BABY’S DOCTOR FOR INSTRUCTIONS AND ASSISTANCE.

a.Generally it is accepted that after 1 hour enough of the medicine has been absorbed by the baby, BUT it is always a good idea to talk with the baby’s doctor.

SPECIAL INFORMATION

  1. KEEP ALL MEDICINES OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.
  1. Your baby will be started on this medicine while he is still in the hospital.

a.We usually give this medicine intravenously (IV) when it is first started

b.It takes about 15 minutes to give it

c.We may give it one (1) or two (2) times a day.

  1. The baby’s medicine will be changed to the “by mouth” (oral) method BEFORE you leave the hospital.
  1. Caffeine citrate does not need to be refrigerated. Store it at room temperature.

THE PRESCRIPTION

  1. You may be given a prescription to fill when the baby is discharged or you may be given some of the medicine to take home.

a.Make sure you have some medicine for the baby’s next dose when the baby is discharged from the hospital.

  1. Always check the medicine when you get it from the pharmacy (drug store).
  1. It should be labeled with the same name and same dosage that your baby was getting in the hospital.
  1. The medicine’s instructions will tell you:
  1. The dose in milligrams or mg’s and how many milliliters or cc’s to give
  2. How to give the medicine (by mouth or “orally”)
  3. How often to give the medicine.
  1. Use a 1 cc or a 3 cc syringe to draw up this medicine. You will be given at least one syringe to take home.
  1. Parents should always keep at least a week’s supply of each of the baby’s medicines on hand.
  1. Call your baby’s doctor if more medicine is needed and you do not have a refill on the prescription.
  1. The local drugstore pharmacist may also be able to help you obtain refills.

Reviewed/Revised: 08/97…..06/13

Caffeine 1