Amidate(tm) Etomidate

INDICATIONS & USAGE AMIDATE is indicated by intravenous injection for the induction of general anesthesia. When considering use of AMIDATE, the usefulness of its hemodynamic properties (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY ) should be weighed against the high frequency of transient skeletal muscle movements (see ADVERSE REACTIONS ). Intravenous AMIDATE is also indicated for the supplementation of subpotent anesthetic agents, such as nitrous oxide in oxygen, during maintenance of anesthesia for short operative procedures such as dilation and curettage or cervical conization.

ADVERSE REACTIONS The most frequent adverse reactions associated with use of intravenous AMIDATE are transient venous pain on injection and transient skeletal muscle movements, including myoclonus: Transient venous pain was observed immediately following intravenous injection of etomidate in about 20% of the patients, with considerable difference in the reported incidence (1.2% to 42%). This pain is usually described as mild to moderate in severity but it is occasionally judged disturbing. The observation of venous pain is not associated with a more than usual incidence of thrombosis or thrombophlebitis at the injection site.

WARNINGS INTRAVENOUS AMIDATE SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED ONLY BY PERSONS TRAINED IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF GENERAL ANESTHETICS AND IN THE MANAGEMENT OF COMPLICATIONS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE CONDUCT OF GENERAL ANESTHESIA. BECAUSE OF THE HAZARDS OF PROLONGED SUPPRESSION OF ENDOGENOUS CORTISOL AND ALDOSTERONE PRODUCTION, THIS FORMULATION IS NOT INTENDED FOR ADMINISTRATION BY PROLONGED INFUSION. Pediatric Neurotoxicity Published animal studies demonstrate that the administration of anesthetic and sedation drugs that block NMDA receptors and/or potentiate GABA activity increase neuronal apoptosis in the developing brain and result in long-term cognitive deficits when used for longer than 3 hours. The clinical significance of these findings is not clear. CONTRAINDICATIONS AMIDATE is contraindicated in patients who have shown hypersensitivity to it.