Patient leaflet - PANCURONIUM BROMIDE 2 MG / ML INJECTION
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet
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1. What Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection is and what it is used for
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2. What you need to know before you use Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection
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3. How to use Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection
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4. Possible side effects
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5. How to store Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection
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6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. what pancuronium bromide solution for injection is and what it is used for
Pancuronium bromide is one of a group of medicines called ‘non-depolarising’ muscle relaxants.
Pancuronium bromide solution for injection is used to relax muscles during surgery, including caesarean section and in intensive care.
You must talk to a doctor if you do not feel better or if you feel worse.
2. what you need to know before you use pancuronium bromide solution for injectionif you are allergic to pancuronium bromide or any of the ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6.
Warning and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist or nurse before using Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection
- if you have kidney, liver, lung or heart disease
- if you have high blood pressure
- if you have cancer, particularly lung cancer
- if you suffer from any of the following conditions: myasthenia gravis, myasthenic syndrome (other neuromuscular diseases) or poliomyelitis
- if you have fluid retention (you may have swelling around the ankles)
- if you have jaundice
Children and elderly
Special care will also be taken in the elderly, newborn babies, patients who are dehydrated or in general poor health and patients who have blood abnormalities, such as altered calcium, magnesium, potassium and protein levels (the doctor may do blood tests to check for such abnormalities).
Other medicines and Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection
Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking or have recently taken or might take any other medicines. Pancuronium bromide must not be administered along with a “depolarising” muscle relaxant, e.g. suxamethonium.
Other medicines used/taken at the same time as pancuronium bromide may interact, special care may be needed, for example:
- other muscle relaxants of the ‘non-depolarising’ type (e.g. mivacurium)
- some anaesthetic agents (e.g. halothane, ether, enflurane, isoflurane, methoxyflurane, cyclopropane, thiopentone, methohexitone, ketamine, fentanyl, gammahydroxybutyrate, etomidate)
- anticancer medicines belonging to a group called ‘alkylating agents’ (including medicines known as ‘nitrogen mustards’)
- some antibiotics (e.g. aminoglycosides, metronidazole) and antifungal medicines (e.g. imidazoles)
- medicines affecting the heart or blood pressure (glyceryl trinitrate, propranolol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, alpha blockers, beta blockers, quinidine)
- water tablets (diuretics)
- medicines used to control anxiety (diazepam)
- antidepressants (e.g. tricylclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- strong pain-killers (e.g. narcotics)
- steroid medicines
- medicines used to treat a disease affecting the muscles called ‚myasthenia gravis‘ (neostigmine, pyridostigmine, edrophonium)
- phenytoin (antiepilepsy medicine)
- heparin and protamine (medicines used to control the ease with which the blood will clot)
- azathioprine (a medicine used to prevent transplant rejection)
- theophylline (a medicine used to treat some breathing disorders)
- medicines used to increase the level of some salts in the blood (potassium chloride, sodium chloride, calcium chloride)
- vitamin B1 (thiamine) if taken in high doses
- magnesium sulfate (used in the treatment of constipation, pre-eclampsia, abnormal heart rhythms)
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine. Your doctor will only use this medicine if the expected benefits outweigh any potential risk to your baby.
Driving and using machines
Do not drive or use machines for 24 hours after full recovery from the muscle relaxant effects of pancuronium bromide.
Information on sodium content
This medicinal product contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) sodium per ampoule, that is to say essentially ‘sodium free’.
3. how to use pancuronium bromide solution for injection
This medicine will be given to you as an injection into a vein.
Dose
The dose of medicine given to you will depend upon your age, your weight, expected duration of surgery, drugs that have been given to you previously and how well your kidneys and liver are working.
The recommended range in adults is typically between 50 and 100 micrograms/kg bodyweight.
If you are given more Pancuronium Bromide solution for Injection than you should
This medicine will be given to you in a hospital, under the supervision of a doctor. It is unlikely that you will be given too much or too little, however, tell your doctor or nurse if you have any concerns.
4. possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
During use of pancuronium bromide injection your doctor will be observing you for:
- severe allergic reaction – you may experience a sudden itchy rash (hives), swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, face, lips, mouth or throat (which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing), and you may feel you are going to faint
If this serious side effect occurs, urgent medical attention will be needed.
After you have come round, if any of the following happen, tell your doctor as soon as possible:
- breathing difficulties
- unusually rapid heart beat, palpitations or irregular heart beat
- pain, itching, local skin reaction or irritation particularly around the injection site
- problems with your vision
- skin rash
- excess production of saliva
Muscle weakness has been reported however its frequency cannot be estimated from the available data.
Your doctor may monitor for changes in your blood pressure.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via:
Yellow Card Scheme Website: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.
By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. how to store pancuronium bromide solution for injection
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Expiry
This medicine must not be used after the expiry date which is stated on the vial ampoule and carton after ‚EXP‘. Where only a month and year is stated, the expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Storage
Store in a refrigerator ( 2°C-8°C). Do not freeze. Keep the ampoule in the outer carton in order to protect from light.
6. contents of the pack and other informationthe active substance is pancuronium bromide. each millilitre (ml) of solution contains 2 milligrams (mg) of pancuronium bromide.
The other ingredients are sodium chloride, sodium acetate, and water for injections (see section 2 Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection contains sodium ).
What Pancuronium Bromide Injection looks like and contents of the pack
Pancuronium Bromide Solution for Injection is a clear, colourless solution for injection which comes in glass containers called ampoules.
It may be supplied in packs containing:
- 5 × 4 mg/2 ml ampoules
- 10 × 4 mg/2 ml ampoules
- 50 × 4 mg/2 ml ampoules
Marketing authorisation holder and manufacturer
Hospira UK Limited, Horizon, Honey Lane, Hurley, Maidenhead, SL6 6RJ, UK.
This leaflet was last revised in 11/2020
Ref: gxPU 5_0
Pancuronium Bromide 2 mg/ml Injection
Further to the information included in section 3, practical information on the preparation/handling of the medicinal product is provided here.
Incompatibilities
Do not mix other solutions in the same syringe as a change in pH can cause precipitation.
Instructions for use and handling
For single use only.
Any unused solution should be discarded.
It is not recommended to give this product by infusion.
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