DOES ETOMIDATE CAUSE HAEMOLYSIS?

Etomidate is currently presented as a solution with propylene glycol as solvent. This organic solvent has an extremely high osmolality and is probably responsible for some of the side effects of this drug. In order to detect haemolysis, an indication for cell damage, we have measured serum haptoglob...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of anaesthesia : BJA 1992-07, Vol.69 (1), p.58-60
Main Authors: NEBAUER, A.E., DOENICKE, A., HOERNECKE, R., ANGSTER, R., MAYER, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anaesthetics
Anesthesia, Intravenous
Biological and medical sciences
Complications: haemolysis
Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment
Emulsions
Etomidate - adverse effects
Haptoglobins - metabolism
Hemolysis - drug effects
Humans
intravenous: etomidate
Lipids - pharmacology
Male
Medical sciences
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Propylene Glycols - pharmacology
Solvents - pharmacology
Toxicity: blood
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Summary:Etomidate is currently presented as a solution with propylene glycol as solvent. This organic solvent has an extremely high osmolality and is probably responsible for some of the side effects of this drug. In order to detect haemolysis, an indication for cell damage, we have measured serum haptoglobin concentrations in 12 healthy male volunteers after administration of etomidate 0.3 mg kg−1. Six subjects received etomidate in propylene glycol (EtoPG) with an osmolality of 4965 mosmol kg−1 and six received etomidate in lipid emulsion (EtoLip, 400 mosmol kg−1). Haptoglobin concentrations in the EtoPG group decreased by 44% and 43 % from baseline values at 2 and 4 h after administration, respectively, and were significantly smaller than after administration of EtoLip. After 24 h, haptoglobin concentrations had not reached baseline values.
ISSN:0007-0912
1471-6771
DOI:10.1093/bja/69.1.58