Description

Description

Demerol (Meperidine HCL) 100mg/ml injection

Demerol (Meperidine HCL) 100mg/ml injection is a member of the narcotic analgesics drug class and is commonly used for Light Sedation and Pain.

Head Injury and Increased Intracranial Pressure:

The respiratory depressant effects of meperidine and its capacity to elevate cerebrospinal fluid pressure may be markedly exaggerated in the presence of head injury, other intracranial lesions, or a preexisting increase in intracranial pressure. Furthermore, narcotics produce adverse reactions which may obscure the clinical course of patients with head injuries. In such patients, meperidine must be used with extreme caution and only if its use is deemed essential.

Hypotensive Effect:

The administration of meperidine may result in severe hypotension in the postoperative patient or any individual whose ability to maintain blood pressure has been compromised by a depleted blood volume or the administration of drugs such as the phenothiazines or certain anesthetics.

Usage in Ambulatory Patients:

Meperidine may impair the mental and/or physical abilities required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks such as driving a car or operating machinery. The patient should be cautioned accordingly.
Meperidine, like other narcotics, may produce orthostatic hypotension in ambulatory patients.

Usage in Pregnancy:

Meperidine should not be used in pregnant women prior to the labor period unless in the judgment of the physician the potential benefits outweigh the possible risks because safe use in pregnancy prior to labor has not been established relative to possible adverse effects on fetal development.

Interactions with other CNS Depressants

DEMEROL should be used with caution and consideration should be given to starting with a reduced dosage in patients who are concurrently receiving other central nervous system depressants including sedatives or hypnotics, general anesthetics, phenothiazines, other tranquilizers, and alcohol. Drug-drug interactions may result in respiratory depression, hypotension, profound sedation, or coma if these drugs are taken in combination with the usual doses of DEMEROL.

Supraventricular Tachycardias:

Meperidine should be used with caution in patients with atrial flutter and other supraventricular tachycardias because of a possible vagolytic action which may produce a significant increase in the ventricular response rate.