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Intravenous opiate therapy

Authoring team

Opiates have several beneficial effects in acute heart failure:

  • sedation:
    • eases the patients distress
    • reduces sympathetic activity

  • reduces left ventricular end diastolic pressure

  • may be a weak diuretic

Doses are given over 3-5 minutes:

  • diamorphine 5 mg iv or morphine 10 mg iv

Patients with liver or lung disease should be given opiates cautiously.

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