Mixing and compatibility guide for commonly used aerosolized medications.

PURPOSE A mixing and compatibility guide for commonly used aerosolized medications was developed. SUMMARY Compatibility guides for injectable drugs are available as a reference for pharmacists, nurses, and medical personnel. These charts are commonly used in hospitals and other health care institutions and provide a quick, easy reference for compatibility of frequently used intravenous medications. Respiratory therapists are frequently directed to administer various aerosolized medications and are often faced with the challenge of uncertain compatibility of these drugs when mixed together. However, there appear to be limited data regarding the compatibility of these aerosolized admixtures. After a careful review of the literature, a compatibility chart was developed that should provide significant value to pharmacists, nurses, and respiratory therapists who administer aerosolized medications. The authors of a recently published evaluation of the compatibility of common inhalation solutions summarized their findings in a concise table. This table served as a template to develop a more comprehensive mixing and compatibility guide in the form of an easy-to-use reference chart, which includes additional agents, compatibility references on the chart, and compatibility information for pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists. CONCLUSION A compatibility guide for aerosolized medications was developed for use by staff who administer these agents.