title: Physicochemical stability of ternary admixtures of butorphanol, ketamine, and droperidol in polyolefin bags for patient-controlled analgesia use.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delivery of drug admixtures by intravenous patient-controlled analgesia is a common practice for the management of postoperative pain; however, analytical confirmation of the compatibility and stability of butorphanol tartrate, ketamine hydrochloride, and droperidol combined in ternary admixtures is not available.
  
  
  METHODS
  Butorphanol tartrate, ketamine hydrochloride, and droperidol have been examined for compatibility and stability when combined with 0.9% sodium chloride injection stored at 4°C and 25°C with light protection for a total of 14 days. Concentrations were 0.067 mg/mL, 1.33 mg/mL, and 0.033 mg/mL for butorphanol tartrate, ketamine hydrochloride, and droperidol, respectively. Drug concentrations were determined using high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All three drugs were very stable (>97%) at 4°C and 25°C for 14 days. The ternary admixtures were initially clear and colorless throughout the observation period, and the pH value did not change significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results confirm that the ternary admixture of butorphanol tartrate 0.067 mg/mL, ketamine hydrochloride 1.33 mg/mL, and droperidol 0.033 mg/mL in 0.9% sodium chloride injection were stable for 14 days when stored in polyolefin bags at 4°C and 25°C and protected from light.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Dongfeng Hospital.
authors.forename: Baoxia
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy.
authors.forename: Linhai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Junfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Dongfeng Hospital.
authors.forename: Fuchao
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Dongfeng Hospital.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ya
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002077:Butorphanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002138:Calibration; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004329:Droperidol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004349:Drug Packaging; D004355:Drug Stability; D007649:Ketamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011090:Polyenes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011090:Polyenes; D007649:Ketamine; C035051:PL 732; D004329:Droperidol; D002077:Butorphanol
keywords: HPLC; analgesia; butorphanol; droperidol; drug stability; ketamine; patient-controlled analgesia