Active Ingredient: Alprostadil
Alprostadil is indicated to temporarily maintain the patency of the ductus arteriosus until corrective or palliative surgery can be performed in infants who have congenital defects and who depend upon the patent ductus for survival. Such congenital heart defects include pulmonary atresia, pulmonary stenosis, tricuspid atresia, tetralogy of Fallot, interruption of the aortic arch, co-arctation of the aorta, aortic stenosis, aortic atresia, mitral atresia, or transposition of the great vessels with or without other defects.
For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:
Intravenous
0.05 - 0.1 ug per kg of body weight
From 0.05 To 0.1 ug per kg of body weight once every day
The infusion is generally initiated at a rate of 0.05-0.1 micrograms/kg/min. The most experience has been with 0.1 micrograms/kg/min. After a therapeutic response (an increase in pO2 in neonates with restricted pulmonary blood flow or an increase in systemic blood pressure and blood pH in neonates with restricted systemic blood flow) has been obtained, the infusion rate should be reduced to the lowest possible dosage that will maintain the desired response.
Doses lower than 0.05 microgram/kg/min (as low as 0.005 microgram/kg/min) alprostadil have been used successfully in neonates, specifically when transport of the infant is necessary. No comparative trials exist and the efficacy and safety of this approach when compared to the generally initiated dosage rate of 0.05-0.1 micrograms/kg/min is currently unclear.
For administration by intravenous drip or constant rate infusion pump.
In infants with lesions restricting pulmonary blood flow (blood is flowing through the ductus arteriosus from the aorta to the pulmonary artery), Prostin VR may be administered by continuous infusion through an umbilical artery catheter placed at or just above the junction of the descending aorta and the ductus arteriosus, or intravenously. Adverse effects have occurred with both routes of administration, but the types of reactions are different. A higher incidence of flushing has been associated with intra-arterial than with intravenous administration.
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