Consideration on Prevention of Phlebitis and Venous Pain from Intravenous Prostaglandin E₁ Administration by Adjusting Solution pH: In Vitro Manipulations Affecting pH

抄録

  Prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁; Alprostadil Alfadex) is a potent vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation used to treat patients with peripheral vascular disease. The main adverse effects of intravenous PGE₁ administration, phlebitis and venous pain, arise from the unphysiologically low pH of infusion solutions. When PGE₁ infusion solutions with a pH value greater then 6 are used, phlebitis and venous pain are considered to be avoidable. Beginning with a PGE₁ infusion solution with pH greater than 6, we add the amount of 7% sodium bicarbonate needed to bring the solution to pH 7.4 if phlebitis or venous pain develops. In the present study we established a convenient nomogram showing the relationship between the titratable acidity of various infusion solutions and the volume of 7% sodium bicarbonate required to attain pH 7.4 for preventing the phlebitis and venous pain associated with PGE₁ infusion.