Promethazine-injection

Promethazine should not be used in children younger than 2 years since it might cause slow/shallow breathing (respiratory depression), which in some cases could be fatal. This problem has occurred even with normal doses in this age group.

Use this drug with caution in children older than 2 years. The lowest effective dosage should be used, and other drugs that affect breathing should be avoided. Seek immediate medical attention in the unlikely event that slow/shallow breathing occurs.

In children, use drugs for nausea only in cases of prolonged vomiting with a known cause. Avoid use of promethazine in children with liver disease (including possible Reye's syndrome).

This medication can cause severe tissue damage, possibly requiring surgery. Tell your doctor/nurse immediately if you experience burning, pain, redness, swelling, or numbness at or near the injection site. If this occurs, the injection should be stopped and the injection site checked.

It is preferred that this medication be given by injection into a muscle. There may be an increased risk of side effects if this medication is given by injection into a vein. This medication must not be given by injection under the skin.

Promethazine injection is used to treat nausea and vomiting related to certain conditions (e.g., after surgery, motion sickness). It is also used with other medication to treat life-threatening allergic symptoms (anaphylaxis) and reactions to blood products. The injectable form may be used to treat milder allergic reactions when you cannot take another medication by mouth. It may also be used before/after surgery, other procedures, or labor and delivery to help you feel calmer, to prevent nausea/vomiting, and to help certain narcotic pain relievers (e.g., meperidine) work better.Promethazine is an antihistamine (phenothiazine type). It works by blocking a certain natural substance (histamine) that your body makes during an allergic reaction. Its other effects (e.g., anti-nausea, calming, pain relief) may work by affecting other natural substances (e.g., acetylcholine) and by acting directly on certain parts of the brain.This medication should not be used in children younger than 2 years.

If overdose is suspected, contact a poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call their local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. Canada residents can call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include: slow/shallow breathing, deep sleep, seizures, muscle spasms, flushing, widened pupils.

Store at room temperature away from light and moisture. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medications away from children and pets.Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company.

Reviewed on 4/16/2014 References

Promethazine hydrochloride injection, USP is a sterile, pyrogen-free solution for deep intramuscular or intravenous administration. Promethazine hydrochloride (10H-Phenothiazine-10-ethanamine,N,N,α-trimethyl-, monohydrochloride, (±)-) is a racemic compound and has the following structural formula:

C17H21ClN2S           MW 320.88

Each mL contains promethazine hydrochloride 25 mg, edetate disodium 0.1 mg, calcium chloride 0.04 mg, sodium metabisulfite 0.25 mg and phenol 5 mg in Water for Injection. pH 4.0 to 5.5; buffered with acetic acid-sodium acetate.

Promethazine hydrochloride injection is a clear, colorless solution. The product is light sensitive. It should be inspected before use and discarded if either color or particulate is observed.

Promethazine hydrochloride is a phenothiazine derivative which possesses antihistaminic, sedative, antimotion-sickness, antiemetic, and anticholinergic effects. Promethazine is a competitive H1 receptor antagonist, but does not block the release of histamine. Structural differences from the neuroleptic phenothiazines result in its relative lack (1/10 that of chlorpromazine) of dopamine antagonist properties. Clinical effects are generally apparent within 5 minutes of an intravenous injection and within 20 minutes of an intramuscular injection. Duration of action is four to six hours, although effects may persist up to 12 hours. Promethazine hydrochloride is metabolized in the liver, with the sulfoxides of promethazine and N-desmethylpromethazine being the predominant metabolites appearing in the urine. Following intravenous administration in healthy volunteers, the plasma half-life for promethazine has been reported to range from 9 to 16 hours. The mean plasma half-life for promethazine after intramuscular administration in healthy volunteers has been reported to be 9.8 ± 3.4 hours.

Children Less Than 2 Years of Age

Promethazine hydrochloride injection is contraindicated for use in pediatric patients less than two years of age due to the risk of respiratory depression (see  WARNINGS - Respiratory Depression).

Comatose State

Promethazine hydrochloride injection is contraindicated in comatose states.

Intra-Arterial Injection

Under no circumstances should promethazine hydrochloride injection be given by intra-arterial injection due to the likelihood of severe arteriospasm and the possibility of resultant gangrene (see WARNINGS - Severe Tissue Injury, Including Gangrene).

Subcutaneous Injection

Promethazine hydrochloride injection should not be given by the subcutaneous route because evidence of chemical irritation has been noted, and necrotic lesions have resulted following subcutaneous injection. The preferred parenteral route of administration is by deep intramuscular injection.

Idiosyncratic Reaction or Hypersensitivity

Promethazine hydrochloride injection is contraindicated in patients who have demonstrated an idiosyncratic reaction or hypersensitivity to promethazine or other phenothiazines.

Respiratory Depression

Pediatrics

Promethazine hydrochloride injection should not be used in pediatric patients less than 2 years of age because of the potential for fatal respiratory depression. Postmarketing cases of respiratory depression, including fatalities, have been reported with use of promethazine in pediatric patients less than 2 years of age. A wide range of weight-based doses of promethazine hydrochloride injection have resulted in respiratory depression in these patients.

Caution should be exercised when administering promethazine hydrochloride injection to pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. It is recommended that the lowest effective dose of promethazine hydrochloride injection be used in pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. Avoid concomitant administration of other drugs with respiratory depressant effects because of an association with respiratory depression, and sometimes death, in pediatric patients.

Other

Because of the risk of potentially fatal respiratory depression, use of promethazine hydrochloride injection in patients with compromised respiratory function or patients at risk for respiratory failure (e.g. COPD, sleep apnea) should be avoided.

Severe Tissue Injury, Including Gangrene

Promethazine hydrochloride injection can cause severe chemical irritation and damage to tissues regardless of the route of administration. Irritation and damage can result from perivascular extravasation, unintentional intra-arterial injection, and intraneuronal or perineuronal infiltration. Adverse event reports include burning, pain, erythema, swelling, sensory loss, palsies, paralysis, severe spasm of distal vessels, thrombophlebitis, venous thrombosis, phlebitis, abscesses, tissue necrosis, and gangrene. In some cases, surgical intervention, including fasciotomy, skin graft, and/or amputation have been required.

Because of the risks of intravenous injection, the preferred route of administration of promethazine hydrochloride injection is deep intramuscular injection (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). Subcutaneous injection is contraindicated. Due to the close proximity of arteries and veins in the areas most commonly used for intravenous injection, extreme care should be exercised to avoid perivascular extravasation or unintentional intra-arterial injection as pain, severe chemical irritation, severe spasm of distal vessels, and resultant gangrene requiring amputation are likely under such circumstances. Aspiration of dark blood does not preclude intra-arterial needle placement because blood is discolored upon contact with promethazine hydrochloride injection. Use of syringes with rigid plungers or of small-bore needles might obscure typical arterial backflow if this is relied upon alone.

In the event that a patient complains of pain during intravenous injection of promethazine hydrochloride injection, the injection should be stopped immediately to evaluate for possible arterial injection or perivascular extravasation.

There is no proven successful management of unintentional intra-arterial injection or perivascular extravasation after it occurs. Sympathetic block and heparinization have been employed during the acute management of unintentional intra-arterial injection, because of the results of animal experiments with other known arteriolar irritants.

CNS Depression

Promethazine hydrochloride injection may impair the mental and/or physical abilities required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks, such as driving a vehicle or operating machinery.

The impairment may be amplified by concomitant use of other central-nervous-system depressants such as alcohol, sedative/hypnotics (including barbiturates), general anesthetics, narcotics, narcotic analgesics, tricyclic antidepressants, and tranquilizers; therefore such agents should either be eliminated or given in reduced dosage in the presence of promethazine hydrochloride (see PRECAUTIONS - Information for Patients  and Drug Interactions).

Lower Seizure Threshold

Promethazine hydrochloride injection may lower seizure threshold and should be used with caution in persons with seizure disorders or in persons who are using concomitant medications, such as narcotics or local anesthetics, which may also affect seizure threshold.

Bone-Marrow Depression

Promethazine hydrochloride injection should be used with caution in patients with bone-marrow depression. Leukopenia and agranulocytosis have been reported, usually when promethazine hydrochloride has been used in association with other known marrow-toxic agents.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome

A potentially fatal symptom complex sometimes referred to as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with promethazine hydrochloride alone or in combination with antipsychotic drugs. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis and cardiac dysrhythmias).

The diagnostic evaluation of patients with this syndrome is complicated. In arriving at a diagnosis, it is important to identify cases where the clinical presentation includes both serious medical illness (e.g., pneumonia, systemic infection, etc.) and untreated or inadequately treated extrapyramidal signs and symptoms (EPS). Other important considerations in the differential diagnosis include central anticholinergic toxicity, heat stroke, drug fever and primary central nervous system (CNS) pathology.

The management of NMS should include 1) immediate discontinuation of promethazine hydrochloride, antipsychotic drugs, if any, and other drugs not essential to concurrent therapy, 2) intensive symptomatic treatment and medical monitoring, and 3) treatment of any concomitant serious medical problems for which specific treatments are available. There is no general agreement about specific pharmacological treatment regimens for uncomplicated NMS.

Since recurrences of NMS have been reported with phenothiazines, the reintroduction of promethazine hydrochloride should be carefully considered.

Sulfite Sensitivity

Promethazine hydrochloride injection contains sodium metabisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions, including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthma episodes, in certain susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown and probably low. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in nonasthmatic people.

Visual Inspection

This product is light sensitive and should be inspected before use and discarded if either color or particulate is observed.

Cholestatic Jaundice

Administration of promethazine has been associated with reported cholestatic jaundice.

Promethazine Hydrochloride Injection, USP is available as follows:

25 mg/mL
     1 mL vials packaged in 25s (NDC 0641-6208-25)

Storage

Store at 20°-25°C (68°-77°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature].
Protect from light. Keep covered in carton until time of use.
Do not use if solution has developed color or contains a precipitate.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp. at 1-877-845-0689, or the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

For Product Inquiry call 1-877-845-0689.

PREMIERProRx®

Manufactured by:

WEST-WARD
A HIKMA COMPANY
Eatontown, NJ 07724 USA

PREMIERProRx® is a registered trademark of Premier Healthcare Alliance, L.P., used under license.

Issued July 2017

462-761-00