Aminophylline Shortage Impact on Nuclear Studies.

Aminophylline has long been used in the reversal of vasodilators used for myocardial perfusion imaging, or cardiac stress testing. Currently there is a shortage of this reversal agent due to manufacturing delays. Below are 3 options that can be used in place of aminophylline, however this decision needs to be made by the providers and updated in protocol manuals.

  1.  Theophylline – Aminophylline is a salt containing approximately 80% theophylline by weight. Therefore, typical doses of 75 to 125 mg of aminophylline require only 60 to 100 mg of theophylline.
  2. IV Caffeine Citrate –  Dose to administer is 60 mg of IV caffeine infused over 3-5 minutes (dosage varies based on concentration).
  3. Oral Caffeine- such as coffee, tea or soda. This method is used for less severe cases.

Again, please confirm with the provider before implementing.