Papaverine Hydrochloride Injection

Papaverine is recommended in various conditions accompanied by spasm of smooth muscle, such as vascular spasm associated with acute myocardial infarction (coronary occlusion), angina pectoris, peripheral and pulmonary embolism, peripheral vascular disease in which there is a vasospastic element, or certain cerebral angiospastic states; and visceral spasm, as in ureteral, biliary, or gastrointestinal colic.

General

Papaverine Hydrochloride Injection, USP, should not be added to Lactated Ringer’s Injection, because precipitation would result.

Papaverine Hydrochloride should be used with caution in patients with glaucoma. The medication should be discontinued if hepatic hypersensitivity with gastrointestinal symptoms, jaundice, or eosinophilia becomes evident or if liver function test values become altered.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Category C - No teratogenic effects were observed in rats when papaverine hydrochloride was administered subcutaneously as a single agent. It is not known whether papaverine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Papaverine Hydrochloride should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when papaverine hydrochloride is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness in children have not been established.

Drug dependence resulting from the abuse of many of the selective depressants, including papaverine hydrochloride, has been reported.

Signs and Symptoms –

The symptoms of toxicity from papaverine hydrochloride often result from vasomotor instability and include nausea, vomiting, weakness, central nervous system depression, nystagmus, diplopia, diaphoresis, flushing, dizziness, and sinus tachycardia. In large overdoses, papaverine is a potent inhibitor of cellular respiration and a weak calcium antagonist. Following an oral overdose of 15 g, metabolic acidosis with hyperventilation, hyperglycemia, and hypokalemia have been reported. No information on toxic serum concentrations is available.

Following intravenous overdosing in animals, seizures, tachyarrhythmias, and ventricular fibrillation have been reported.  The oral median lethal dose in rats is 360 mg/kg.

Treatment –

To obtain up-to-date information about the treatment of overdose, a good resource is your certified Regional Poison Control Center. Telephone numbers of certified poison control centers are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR). In managing overdosage, consider the possibility of multiple drug overdoses, interaction among drugs, and unusual drug kinetics in your patient.

Protect the patient’s airway and support ventilation and perfusion. Meticulously monitor vital signs, blood gases, blood chemistry values, and other variables.

If convulsions occur, consider diazepam, phenytoin, or phenobarbital. If the seizures are refractory, general anesthesia with thiopental or halothane and paralysis with a neuromuscular blocking agent may be necessary.

For hypotension, consider intravenous fluids, elevation of the legs, and an inotropic vasopressor, such as dopamine or norepinephrine (levarterenol). Theoretically, calcium gluconate may be helpful in treating some of the toxic cardiovascular effects of papaverine; monitor the ECG and plasma calcium concentrations.

Forced diuresis, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, or charcoal hemoperfusion have not been established as beneficial for an overdose of papaverine hydrochloride.

Papaverine Hydrochloride Injection, USP, 30 mg/mL

0517-4002-25              2 mL Vial                                packaged in boxes of 25
0517-4010-01              10 mL Multiple Dose Vial*    packaged individually

*The 10 mL Multiple Dose Vial contains chlorobutanol 0.5% as a preservative.

Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) (See USP Controlled Room Temperature).

PROTECT FROM LIGHT. RETAIN IN CARTON UNTIL TIME OF USE.

AMERICAN
REGENT, INC.
SHIRLEY, NY 11967

IN4002
Rev. 1/09