D5W Administration Guidelines

Appropriate Uses of D5W

Dopamine infusions can be administered at a rate of 2-20 mcg/kg/min in 500 mL D5W for refractory hypotension, and epinephrine infusions can be administered at a concentration of 1 mg in 250 mL D5W yielding 4 mcg/mL, and sodium bicarbonate can be administered for tricyclic antidepressant toxicity at a concentration of 150 mEq NaHCO3 per liter of D5W, according to the American College of Medical Toxicology 1
Amiodarone continuous infusion can be administered with a concentration not exceeding 2 mg/mL diluted with D5W, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 2

For documented hypoglycemia requiring rapid correction, 0.5 g/kg of glucose can be administered as a 10% or 25% solution slowly in pediatric patients, as recommended by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 3

Patients with cardiac or renal compromise should be monitored for fluid overload regardless of diluent, and blood glucose levels should be monitored when using any dextrose-containing solution, especially in diabetic patients, according to the American Diabetes Association 1
In diabetic ketoacidosis management, the solution can be switched to D10 or D5 with saline only when glucose reaches 250 mg/dL, and hourly monitoring is recommended during diabetic emergencies, as recommended by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 4