The preparation of ethanolamine oleate (EO) injections containing a contrast medium [Iopamiron 300 (IP 300), Omnipaque 300 (OP 300), Isovist 240 (IV 240), Angiografin (AF), Hexabrix 320 (HB 320)] in sclerosing treatment (endoscopic embolization) of esophageal varix was tried by the method described in our previous report.Clear injectable solutions were prepared by mixing EO with the non-ionic contrast medium (IP 300, OP 300, IV 240), while whitening solutions were produced by mixing EO with the ionic contrast medium (AF, HB 320).
Then, the samples of EO injections mixed with the non-ionic contrast medium contained in an ampule with air or N2 were sterilized and were stored for 4 weeks under different conditions. The changes in appearance, pH, specific gravity, viscosity, osmotic pressure, and contents of the contrast medium, oleic acid and benzyl alcohol, and the concentration of iodide (contaminant) were examined at intervals. After sterilization, no change was observed in each test item except increase of the content of iodide in all sterilezed samples and the content of iodide in EO-OP 300 became the highest under any atomosphere.During the storages EO-OP 300 also showed the highest content of iodide under any conditions and a white turbidity appeared in EO-OP 300 injections under some storage conditions. These results suggest that EO-IP 300 and EO-IV 240 are stable for at least 4 weeks in a dark place below room temperature after sterilization but EO-OP 300 is less stable.