Formulary
Metaraminol: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Metaraminol clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Metaraminol: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Metaraminol clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Acute hypotension**
- **Adult** (By Intravenous Infusion): 15-100 mg, adjusted according to response.
**Emergency treatment of acute hypotension for metaraminol**
- **Child 12-17 years** (Initially by intravenous injection): Initially 0.5-5 mg, then (by intravenous infusion) 15-100 mg, adjusted according to response.
**Acute hypotension for metaraminol**
- **Child 12-17 years** (By intravenous infusion): 15-100 mg, adjusted according to response.
Cautions
General cautions: Cirrhosis; coronary vascular thrombosis; diabetes mellitus; elderly; extravasation at injection site may cause necrosis; following myocardial infarction; hypercapnia; hypertension; hyperthyroidism; hypoxia; mesenteric vascular thrombosis; peripheral vascular thrombosis; Prinzmetal's variant angina; uncorrected hypovolaemia Specific cautions: With intracavernosal use Associated with fatal hypertensive crises Cautions, further information Hypertensive response With intravenous use: Metaraminol has a longer duration of action than noradrenaline, and an excessive vasopressor response may cause a prolonged rise in blood pressure.
Side effects
Common or very common Headache; hypertension Rare or very rare Skin exfoliation; soft tissue necrosis Frequency not known Abscess; arrhythmias; nausea; palpitations; peripheral ischaemia
Interactions
**Severe interactions:**
- Metaraminol, solution for injection in pre-filled syringe should not be used concurrently with cyclopropane or halothane anaesthesia, unless clinical circumstances demand it, due to a risk of...
**Other interactions (7):**
- Patients being treated with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor should not receive indirectly-acting sympathomimetic agents such as amphetamines, metaraminol, fenfluramine or similar anorectic agents,...
- Metaraminol should be used with caution in patients receiving digitalis, since the combination of digitalis and sympathomimetic amines is capable of causing ectopic arrhythmic activity.
- The pressor effect of metaraminol is decreased but not reversed by alpha-adrenergic blocking agents.
- A close monitoring of blood pressure is recommended in case of co-administration with oxytocic drugs due to the risk of enhancement of metaraminol effects.
- In case of co-administration of metaraminol and ergot alkaloids, there is a risk of vasoconstriction and/or hypertensive crisis.
- Co-administration with tricyclic antidepressants may enhance the effect of metaraminol.
Pregnancy
With intravenous use: May reduce placental perfusion-manufacturer advises use only if potential benefit outweighs risk.
Breast feeding
With intravenous use: Manufacturer advises caution-no information available.
Medicinal forms
Solution
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
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