LoginSodium Bicarbonate Injection
Generic Name: sodium bicarbonate
Product Name: Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
Indication: What Sodium Bicarbonate Injection is used for
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection reduces the amount of acid in the blood.
Signs of high acid levels include headaches, weakness, tiredness, fast breathing and abnormal heart rate.
High levels of acid in the blood can be caused by diabetes, hepatitis, heart and kidney problems, shock, severe dehydration or diarrhoea, Addison‘s disease and malnutrition.
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection also reduces the amount of acid in the urine. It is used to speed up the removal of certain substances from the body in the case of some types of poisoning.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Sodium Bicarbonate Injection has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason.
Action: How Sodium Bicarbonate Injection works
Sodium bicarbonate is a systemic alkalinizing agent which, when given intravenously, will increase plasma bicarbonate, buffer excess hydrogen ion concentration, raise blood pH and reverse the clinical manifestations of acidosis.
Sodium bicarbonate dissociates in water to provide sodium and bicarbonate ions (HCO3–). Sodium is the principal cation of the extracellular fluid and plays a large part in the therapy of fluid and electrolyte disturbances. Bicarbonate is a normal constituent of body fluids and the normal plasma level ranges from 24 to 31 mmol/L.
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection 8.4% contains 84 mg/mL of sodium bicarbonate in water for injections.
It also contains disodium edetate and sodium hydroxide.
This medicine does not contain gluten, lactose, sucrose, tartrazine, alcohol or any dyes or preservatives.
Dose advice: How to use Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
Before you are given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
When you must not be given it
You should not be given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection if you have an allergy to:
- Any medicine containing sodium bicarbonate;
- Any of the ingredients listed here.
Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include:
- Shortness of breath;
- Wheezing or difficulty breathing;
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body;
- Rash, itching or hives on the skin.
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection should not be given if you have any of the following medical conditions:
- kidney disease or kidney stones;
- excess sodium in the blood;
- high blood pressure and high blood pressure due to pregnancy;
- swelling due to excess fluid;
- heart disease;
- low levels of potassium in the blood;
- low levels of chloride in the blood.
You should not be given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection if the solution is discoloured, cloudy, turbid, or a precipitate or particles are present. The solution is normally a clear, colourless liquid.
You should not be given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection if it causes a precipitate, discolouration or cloudiness to form when added to an intravenous (IV) solution.
The doctor or nurse will check to ensure the medicine is not past its expiry date and has not been tampered with.
If you are not sure whether you should be given this medicine talk to your doctor.
Before you are given it
Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
Tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following medical conditions:
- Liver disease.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits involved.
If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you are given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection.
Taking other medicines
Tell your doctor if you are taking any other medicines, including medicines that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop, naturopath or herbalist.
Some medicines may interfere with Sodium Bicarbonate Injection. These include:
- Diuretics or fluid tablets;
- Corticosteroids such as prednisone;
- Potassium supplements;
- The heart drugs quinidine and flecainide;
- Amphetamines;
- Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine found in cold medicines;
- Aspirin;
- Barbiturates, medicines used to treat epilepsy.
These medicines may be affected by Sodium Bicarbonate Injection or may affect how well it works. You may need different amounts of your medicine, or you may need to take different medicines.
Your doctor or pharmacist has more information on medicines to be careful with or avoid while being given this medicine.
How Sodium Bicarbonate Injection is given
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection must only be given by a doctor or nurse.
How it is given
It is given by an injection into a vein or it is added to an intravenous (IV) solution.
How much is given
Your doctor will decide what dose of Sodium Bicarbonate Injection you will receive and for how long you will receive it. This depends on your medical condition and other factors, such as your weight.
If you are given too much (overdose)
As Sodium Bicarbonate Injection is always given to you in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor, it is unlikely that you will receive an overdose.
Symptoms of an overdose may include:
- Spasms in the muscles, hands or feet;
- Muscle cramps;
- Extreme irritability;
- Breathing difficulties.
If you notice any symptoms of an overdose immediately contact your doctor or go to the Accident and Emergency department at the nearest hospital.
Contact the Poisons information centre on 13 11 26 for further advice on overdose management.
While you are being given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
Things you must do
If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you have been given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection.
Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who treat you that you have been given this medicine.
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist that you have been given this medicine.
It may affect other medicines used during surgery.
Keep all of your doctor’s appointments so that your progress can be checked.
Your doctor may do some tests from time to time to make sure the medicine is working and to prevent unwanted side effects.
After being given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
Storage
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection will be stored in the surgery, pharmacy or ward of a hospital. The injection is kept in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection will only be opened when it is time for you to have the injection.
Schedule of Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection is unscheduled.
Side effects of Sodium Bicarbonate Injection
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are being given Sodium Bicarbonate Injection.
Sodium Bicarbonate Injection may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Do not be alarmed by the following list of side effects. You may not experience any of them. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have. If any of the following happen tell your doctor immediately:
- Pain, burning or swelling at the site of injection;
- Extreme irritability;
- Muscle spasms or cramps;
- Breathing difficulties;
- Symptoms caused by low levels of potassium in the blood:
- Drowsiness;
- Loss of appetite;
- Muscle twitching or trembling;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Unusual tiredness or weakness.
For further information talk to your doctor.
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