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Nitroprusside Sodium

    DEA Class; Rx

    Common Brand Names; Nipride RTU, Nitropress, Sodium Nitroprusside

    • Vasodilators
    Intravenous direct-acting vasodilator
    Used for treatment of hypertensive crises, induction and maintenance of controlled hypotension during surgery, and treatment of acute heart failure
    Use limited by the potential for cyanide and/or thiocyanate toxicity

    Indicated for immediate reduction of blood pressure (BP) during hypertensive crisis

    Indicated for induction and maintenance of controlled hypotension during surgery, to reduce bleeding

    Indicated for treatment of acute heart failure to reduce left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, peripheral vascular resistance, and mean arterial blood pressure

    Treatment and prevention of cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage

    Hypersensitivity

    Compensatory HTN (eg, arteriovenous shunt or aortic coarctation); (for controlled hypotension): inadequate cerebral circulation

    Certain rare conditions, eg, congenital optic atrophy, tobacco amblyopia

    Treatment of acute CHF associated with reduced peripheral vascular resistance such as high-output heart failure that may be seen in endotoxic sepsis

    To produce hypotension during surgery in patients with known inadequate cerebral circulation, or in moribund patients (A.S.A. Class 5E) coming to emergency surgery

    Common

    • Bradyarrhythmia, hypotension, palpitations, tachyarrhythmia

    • Apprehension, restlessness, confusion, dizziness, headache, somnolence

    • Rash, sweating

    • Thyroid suppression

    • Injection site irritation

    • Muscle twitch

    • Oliguria, renal azotemia

    Serious

    • Cardiac dysrhythmia, hemorrhage, decreased platelet aggregation, excessive hypotensive response

    • Raised intracranial pressure

    • Metabolic acidosis

    • Bowel obstruction

    • Methemoglobinemia

    • Cyanide poisoning

    • Thiocyanate toxicity

    Small transient excesses in the infusion rate of sodium nitroprusside can result in excessive hypotension, sometimes to levels so low as to compromise the perfusion of vital organs; nitroprusside-induced hypotension will be self-limited within 1-10 minutes after discontinuation of therapy; during these few minutes, it may be helpful to put the patient into a head-down (Trendelenburg) position to maximize venous return; if hypotension persists more than a few minutes after discontinuation of infusion therapy is not the cause, and the true cause must be sought

    Therapy can cause increases in intracranial pressure; in patients whose intracranial pressure is already elevated, sodium nitroprusside should be used only with extreme caution

    Use caution when administering nitroprusside to patients with hepatic insufficiency

    When sodium nitroprusside (or any other vasodilator) is used for controlled hypotension during anesthesia, the patient’s capacity to compensate for anemia and hypovolemia may be diminished; if possible, pre-existing anemia and hypovolemia should be corrected prior to administration of therapy

    Hypotensive anesthetic techniques may cause abnormalities of pulmonary ventilation/perfusion ratio; patients intolerant of these abnormalities may require a higher fraction of inspired oxygen

    Head trauma, increases ICP, hyponatremia, hypothyroidism, severe hepatic or renal impairment, elderly

    Pregnancy Category: C

    Lactation: controversial; excreted in breast milk, not recommended for long term use if breastfeeding

    Adults

    10 mcg/kg/minute IV for 10 minutes.

    Geriatric

    10 mcg/kg/minute IV for 10 minutes.

    Adolescents

    10 mcg/kg/minute IV for 10 minutes.

    Children

    10 mcg/kg/minute IV for 10 minutes.

    Infants

    10 mcg/kg/minute IV for 10 minutes.

    Neonates

    10 mcg/kg/minute IV for 10 minutes.

    Nitroprusside sodium

    injectable solution

    • Nitropress

      • 25mg/mL (50mg/2mL vial) (Nitropress)
    • Nipride RTU

      • 0.2mg/mL (20mg/100mL 0.9% NaCl)
      • 0.5mg/mL (50mg/100mL 0.9% NaCl)