Dopram

Dopram

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Questions & Answers

Side Effects & Adverse Reactions

Doxapram should not be used in conjunction with mechanical ventilation.

Exposure to excessive amounts of benzyl alcohol has been associated with toxicity (hypotension, metabolic acidosis), particularly in neonates, and an increased incidence of kernicterus, particularly in small preterm infants. There have been rare reports of deaths, primarily in preterm infants, associated with exposure to excessive amounts of benzyl alcohol. The amount of benzyl alcohol from medications is usually considered negligible compared to that received in flush solutions containing benzyl alcohol. Administration of high dosages of medications containing this preservative must take into account the total amount of benzyl alcohol administered. The amount of benzyl alcohol at which toxicity may occur is not known. If the patient requires more than the recommended dosages or other medications containing this preservative, the practitioner must consider the daily metabolic load of benzyl alcohol from these combined sources (see PRECAUTIONS, Pediatric Use).

In Postanesthetic Use
  1. Doxapram is neither an antagonist to muscle relaxant drugs nor a specific narcotic antagonist. More specific tests (eg, peripheral nerve stimulation, airway pressures, head lift, pulse oximetry, and end-tidal carbon dioxide) to assess adequacy of ventilation are recommended before administering doxapram.
  2. Doxapram should be administered with great care and only under careful supervision to patients with hypermetabolic states such as hyperthyroidism or pheochromocytoma.
  3. Since narcosis may recur after stimulation with doxapram, care should be taken to maintain close observation until the patient has been fully alert for ½ to 1 hour.
  4. In patients who have received general anesthesia utilizing a volatile agent known to sensitize the myocardium to catecholamines, administration of doxapram should be delayed until the volatile agent has been excreted in order to lessen the potential for arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation (see PRECAUTIONS, Drug Interactions).
In Drug-Induced CNS and Respiratory Depression

Doxapram alone may not stimulate adequate spontaneous breathing or provide sufficient arousal in patients who are severely depressed either due to respiratory failure or to CNS depressant drugs, but may be used as an adjunct to established supportive measures and resuscitative techniques.

In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Because of the associated increased work of breathing, do not increase the rate of infusion of doxapram in severely ill patients in an attempt to lower pCO2.

Legal Issues

There is currently no legal information available for this drug.

FDA Safety Alerts

There are currently no FDA safety alerts available for this drug.

Manufacturer Warnings

There is currently no manufacturer warning information available for this drug.

FDA Labeling Changes

There are currently no FDA labeling changes available for this drug.

Uses

Postanesthesia
  1. When the possibility of airway obstruction and/or hypoxia have been eliminated, doxapram may be used to stimulate respiration in patients with drug-induced postanesthesia respiratory depression or apnea other than that due to muscle relaxant drugs.
  2. To pharmacologically stimulate deep breathing in the postoperative patient. (A quantitative method of assessing oxygenation, such as pulse oximetry, is recommended.)
Drug-Induced Central Nervous System Depression

Exercising care to prevent vomiting and aspiration, doxapram may be used to stimulate respiration, hasten arousal, and to encourage the return of laryngopharyngeal reflexes in patients with mild to moderate respiratory and CNS depression due to drug overdosage.

Chronic Pulmonary Disease Associated with Acute Hypercapnia

Doxapram is indicated as a temporary measure in hospitalized patients with acute respiratory insufficiency superimposed on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its use should be for a short period of time (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION) as an aid in the prevention of elevation of arterial CO2 tension during the administration of oxygen.

It should not be used in conjunction with mechanical ventilation.

History

There is currently no drug history available for this drug.

Other Information

DOPRAM Injection (doxapram hydrochloride injection, USP) is a clear, colorless, sterile, non-pyrogenic, aqueous solution with pH 3.5 to 5, for intravenous administration.

Each 1 mL contains:

Doxapram Hydrochloride, USP ................................................................. 20 mg

Benzyl Alcohol, NF (as preservative) ......................................................... 0.9%

Water for Injection, USP ...........…................................................................. q.s.

Doxapram Injection is a respiratory stimulant.

Doxapram hydrochloride is a white to off-white, crystalline powder, sparingly soluble in water, alcohol and chloroform. Chemically, doxapram hydrochloride is 1-ethyl-4-[2-(4-morpholinyl)ethyl]-3,3-diphenyl-2-pyrrolidinone monohydrochloride, monohydrate.

The chemical structure is:

Dopram Injection Structural Formula

C24H31ClN2O2 • H2O M.W. 432.98

Dopram Manufacturers


  • Baxter Healthcare Corporation
    Dopram (Doxapram Hydrochloride) Injection [Baxter Healthcare Corporation]
  • West-ward Pharmaceutical Corp.
    Dopram (Doxapram Hydrochloride) Injection [West-ward Pharmaceutical Corp.]

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