Field medications · Adult & pediatric guidance · ALS
Amiodarone
Separate cardiac-arrest dosing from treatment of unstable wide-complex tachycardia with a pulse.
OCEMS source summary · Updated 2026-09-16
Check before giving
A pulse changes the administration sequence and rate.
Slow administration in patients with a pulse is important: SO-C-040 warns about profound hypotension.
Use in OCEMS
An antiarrhythmic option in the OCEMS VF/pulseless-VT sequence and the unstable wide-complex tachycardia pathway.
Stable adult wide-complex tachycardia is generally monitored and transported under SO-C-040 without cardioversion or antiarrhythmic treatment.
Adult / adolescent
Indication / route
Dose & limits
VF / pulseless VT
300 mg IV/IO; may repeat 150 mg once after 3 minutes in the resuscitation sequence.
Unstable wide-complex tachycardia with a pulse
150 mg slow IV/IO after unsuccessful initial cardioversion. Follow SO-C-040 for repeat cardioversion and the second 150 mg dose.
Pediatric
SO-P-040: for persistent VF/pulseless VT, 5 mg/kg IV/IO; it permits repeat 5 mg/kg doses at 5 and 10 minutes and lists a maximum dose of 450 mg. Follow the full arrest sequence and obtain base contact.
I-20 marks VT with a pulse as a base-order indication and lists infusion over 10 minutes. Use the ordered dose and the correct weight-band entry; do not substitute the arrest administration method.
Initial arrest dose: 5 mg/kg IV/IO. The source permits repeat doses at 5 and 10 minutes and states a maximum of 450 mg; account for medication already given before any repeat.
Base contact is required. This table is for pulseless arrest, not VT with a pulse. The base-ordered perfusing-VT regimen is a separate slow infusion.
Calculated examples for the exact weights shown, using the named standing-order/procedure formula. Do not round the patient’s weight to the nearest row. For another weight, calculate from the stated formula and apply the limits. These are not the rounded I-20 weight-band volumes.
Volumes are mathematical examples rounded to at most three decimal places. Verify the vial concentration, dose, and measurable syringe volume before administration; follow agency preparation/rounding practice.
Exact weight
Dose — IV/IO
Volume at 50 mg/mL
3 kg
15 mg
0.3 mL
4 kg
20 mg
0.4 mL
5 kg
25 mg
0.5 mL
6 kg
30 mg
0.6 mL
8 kg
40 mg
0.8 mL
10 kg
50 mg
1 mL
12 kg
60 mg
1.2 mL
15 kg
75 mg
1.5 mL
20 kg
100 mg
2 mL
25 kg
125 mg
2.5 mL
30 kg
150 mg
3 mL
35 kg
175 mg
3.5 mL
40 kg
200 mg
4 mL
45 kg
225 mg
4.5 mL
50 kg
250 mg
5 mL
60 kg
300 mg
6 mL
Pediatric weight bands — VT with a pulse
I-20 pages 1–10: base hospital order required; infuse over 10 minutes using the ordered route. This is not the pulseless-arrest bolus.
Values below are the published I-20 band doses. Confirm the base order and chart; do not extrapolate beyond these bands.
I-20 weight band
Base-ordered dose over 10 minutes
Volume at 50 mg/mL
3–5 kg
20 mg
0.4 mL
6–7 kg
30 mg
0.6 mL
8–9 kg
40 mg
0.8 mL
10–11 kg
50 mg
1 mL
12–14 kg
70 mg
1.4 mL
15–18 kg
75 mg
1.5 mL
19–23 kg
100 mg
2 mL
24–29 kg
125 mg
2.5 mL
30–36 kg
150 mg
3 mL
37–49 kg
150 mg
3 mL
Preparation & reassessment
The listed preparation is 50 mg/mL. Confirm ordered milligrams and the matching volume.
Maintain rhythm and perfusion monitoring. Medication is one part of the electrical-treatment/resuscitation pathway.