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Cordarone X Intravenous amiodarone hydrochloride
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Presentation Ampoules for intravenous injection clear, pale yellow solution containing 150mg amiodarone hydrochloride in 3ml Indications
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Treatment should be initiated only under hospital or specialist supervision. Tachyarrhythmias associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. All types of tachyarrhythmias including; supraventricular, nodal and ventricular tachycardias; atrial flutter and fibrillation; ventricular fibrillation; when other drugs cannot be used.
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Dosage and Administration
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Cordarone X Intravenous should only be used when facilities exist for cardiac monitoring or defibrillation, should the need arise.
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The standard recommended dose is 5mg/kg bodyweight given by intravenous infusion over a period of 20 minutes to two hours Where possible this should be administered as a dilute solution in 250ml 5% dextrose.
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This may be followed by repeat infusions up to 1200mg, (i.e. approximately 15mg/kg bodyweight) in up to 500ml 5% dextrose per 24 hours, the rate of infusion being adjusted on the basis of clinical response.
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In extreme clinical emergency the drug may, at the discretion of the clinician, be given as a slow injection of 150-300mg in 10 20ml of 55/O dextrose over a minimum of three minutes This should not be repeated for at least 15 minutes. Patients treated in this way must be closely monitored. eg in an intensive care unit When given by infusion Cordarone X may reduce drop size and if appropriate, adjustment should be made to the rate of infusion
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Repeated or continuous infusion via the peripheral veins may lead to local discomfort and inflammation When repeated or continuous infusion is anticipated, administration by a central venous catheter is recommended.
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Oral therapy should be initiated concomitantly at the usual loading dose i.e. 200mg three times a day, as soon as possible after an adequate response has been obtained using Cordarone X Intravenous which should then be phased out gradually Whilst there is no evidence that dosage requirements are different in the elderly they may be more susceptible to bradycardia and conduction defects if too high a dosage is employed Particular attention should be paid to monitoring of thyroid function
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For directions on oral therapy, please refer to the Data Sheet Product Information Sheet.
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Contraindications, Warnings, etc
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 Cordarone X Intravenous is contra-indicated in severe respiratory failure, circulatory collapse and severe arterial hypotension and may cause moderate and transient reduction in blood pressure. Circulatory collapse may be precipitated by too rapid an administration or overdosage (atropine has been used successfully in such patients presenting with bradycardia) Cordarone X is contra indicated in patients with sinus bradycardia and sino-atrial heart block. In patients with severe conduction disturbances (high grade AV block, bifascicular or trifascicular block) or sinus node disease Cordarone X should be used only in conjunction with a pacemaker
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Cordarone X is contra-indicated in patients with evidence or a history of thyroid dysfunction In doubtful cases thyroid function tests should be performed prior to therapy with Cordarone X.
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One ampoule of Cordarone X Intravenous contains approximately 56mg Iodine. Caution is therefore advised when considering administration to patients with known hypersensitivity to Iodine.
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Congestive heart failure is also a contraindication when using Cordarone X Intravenous as a bolus injection Oral Cordarone X is not contra-indicated in patients with latent or manifest heart failure, but caution should be exercised as existing heart failure may occasionally be worsened by Cordarone X. In this case, Cordarone X should be associated with the usual cardiotonic and diuretic treatment
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Too high a dosage may lead to severe bradycardia and to conduction disturbances with the appearance of an idioventricular rhythm, particularly in elderly patients or during digitalis therapy. In these circumstances, Cordarone X treatment should be withdrawn. If necessary &szlig;-adrenostimulants or glucagon may be given.
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Side Effects
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Rapid administration of Cordarone X Intravenous has been associated with anaphylactic shock, hot flushes, sweating and nausea In cases of respiratory failure. notably in asthmatics, bronchospasm and/or apnoea may also occur.
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Bradycardia which is generally moderate and dose dependent has been reported In some cases (sinus node disease, elderly patients) marked bradycardia or more exceptionally sinus arrest has occurred. There have been rare instances of conduction disturbances (sino-atrial block, various degrees of AV block).
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Cordarone X has a low proarrhythmic effect This has usually occurred in combination with other precipitating factors particularly other antiarrhythmic agents, hypokalaemia and digoxin
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Both hyper and hypothyroidism have occurred during, or soon after, treatment with Cordarone X Simple monitoring of the usual biochemical tests is confusing because some (PBI and 131I uptake) are invalidated and others (T4, T3 and FTI) may be altered where the patient is clearly euthyroid. Clinical monitoring is therefore recommended and should be continued for some months after discontinuation of Cordarone X treatment. This is particularly important in the elderly. In patients whose history indicates an increased risk of thyroid dysfunction, regular testing is recommended.
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Diffuse pulmonary alveolitis and fibrosis have been reported. Patients developing dyspnoea without signs of cardiac failure or loss of control of arrhythmias should be carefully evaluated clinically including chest X ray and lung function testing.
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It is advisable to monitor liver function particularly transaminases before treatment and periodically thereafter
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At the beginning of therapy, elevation of serum transaminases which can be in isolation (1.5 to 3 times normal) may occur. These may return to normal with dose reduction, or sometimes spontaneously. Occasional cases of acute liver disorders with elevated serum transaminases and/or jaundice may occur. These normally regress when treatment is withdrawn. During long term therapy, there have been reports of chronic liver disease.
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Patients on continuous therapy may develop microdeposits in the cornea. Rare cases of impaired visual acuity due to optic neuritis have been reported Cordarone X may induce photosensitization in some patients Rarely a slate grey or bluish discolouration of the skin has occurred Skin rashes including isolated cases of exfoliative dermatitis have been reported Cases of erythema have been reported during radiotherapy
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Peripheral neuropathy and/or myopathy, nightmares, vertigo, headaches, sleeplessness, tremor, ataxia and benign raised intracranial pressure have been reported.
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Other unwanted effects reported include nausea, vomiting, metallic taste, fatigue, epididymo-orchitis and hypersensitivity reactions including vasculitis, renal involvement or thrombocytopenia.
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Drug Interactions
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 Administration of Cordarone X to a patient already receiving digoxin may bring about an increase in the plasma digoxin concentration and thus precipitate symptoms and signs associated with high digoxin levels Monitoring is recommended and digoxin dosage should be adjusted accordingly. A synergistic effect on heart rate and atrioventricular conduction is also possible It may potentiate oral anticoagulant therapy by increasing plasma levels of oral anticoagulants. More frequent monitoring of prothrombin time during treatment with and after discontinuation of Cordarone X therapy is indicated Consideration should be given to the possibility that Cordarone X may alter the plasma concentrations of other drugs particularly those which are highly protein bound eg phenytoin
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Potentiation of the negative chronotropic and dromotropic properties of beta blockers and certain calcium channel inhibitors (verapamil, diltiazem) may occur. Combination therapy should therefore be strictly monitored.
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The risk of Torsade de Pointes may be increased when Cordarone X is used in combination with other drugs which directly or indirectly prolong the QT interval eg certain antiarrhythmics (quinidine, disopyramide) or agents which may induce hypokalaemia eg diuretics.
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The combination of Cordarone X with other antiarrhythmics (especially Class I) needs particularly careful consideration.
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Cordarone X should not be used with sotalol because of the effects on repolarization.
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Potentially severe complications have been reported in patients taking amiodarone undergoing general anaesthesia: bradycardia unresponsive to atropine, hypotension, disturbances of conduction, decreased cardiac output. A few cases of acute respiratory distress have been observed in the period immediately after cardiovascular surgery. Possible potentiation of the toxic effect of oxygen has been implicated The anaesthetist should be informed that the patient is taking Cordarone X
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Women of Child-Bearing Age:
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 Although no teratogenic effects have been observed in animals, there are insufficient data on the use of Cordarone X during pregnancy in humans to judge any possible toxicity However, in view of the pharmacological properties of the drug on the foetus and its effect on the foetal thyroid gland, its administration in pregnancy should be avoided Breastfeeding is contraindicated Pharmaceutical Precautions Ampoules should be protected from light Cordarone X Intravenous is incompatible with saline and should be administered solely in 5% Dextrose solution Solutions containing less than two ampoules Cordarone X Intravenous in 500ml Dextrose 5% are unstable and should not be used Name and Address of Product Licence/Product Authorisation Holder <PB n=1> <CB n=1>
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Sanofi UK Ltd Manchester M23 9NF Telephone: 061945 4161 Made in England 
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Distributed in the Republic of Ireland by:
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Cahill May Roberts Chapelizod Dublin 20
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Further Information
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Cordarone X Intravenous may be used prior to DC cardioversion. It has been used to treat successfully atrial, junctional and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. It may be used where a rapid response is required, such as following a myocardial infarction Cordarone X induces ECG changes; QT interval lengthening corresponding to prolonged repolarisation; U and deformed T waves may occur because of the fixing of amiodarone in myocardial tissues.
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Package Quantities
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 Intravenous injection carton of 10 ampoules PL 0623/0012 PA 321/2/2 Date of Last Review February 1991510142B <CB n=2> <FIGURE></FIGURE>
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