Ropivacaine Hydrochloride

Indications

Pain

Ropivacaine Hydrochloride, USP is used to produce local or regional anesthesia for surgery and for acute pain management. Surgical Anesthesia It is given as an epidural block for surgery, including cesarean section, as a major nerve block, and as local infiltration. Acute Pain Management It is given as an epidural continuous infusion or as an intermittent bolus, for example for postoperative pain or labor, and as local infiltration.

⚠️ Always consult a registered physician before taking any medicine.

Pharmacology

Ropivacaine is an amino amide local anesthetic, and it is supplied as the pure S-(-)-enantiomer. Local anesthetics block the generation and the conduction of nerve impulses. They presumably do this by raising the threshold for electrical excitation in the nerve, by slowing the propagation of the nerve impulse, and by reducing the rate of rise of the action potential. In general, how anesthesia progresses depends on the diameter, myelination and conduction velocity of the nerve fibers affected. Clinically, nerve function is lost in this order: (1) pain, (2) temperature, (3) touch, (4) proprioception, and (5) skeletal muscle tone.

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

There's no human data on ropivacaine injection in pregnant women, so we can't judge whether it carries a risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or other harmful outcomes for the mother or the baby.

One published report found that ropivacaine passes into breast milk at low levels in women who were given it during cesarean section. No adverse reactions were reported in the infants. Nothing is known about its effect on milk production.

When deciding on use during breastfeeding, the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby's development and health should be weighed together with the mother's clinical need for ropivacaine. The possible adverse effects on the breastfed child, either from ropivacaine or from the mother's underlying condition, should be considered as well.

⚠️ Talk to your doctor before taking any medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Dosage Reference

⚠️ Reference ranges from official sources only. Consult your doctor for personalized dosing.

Adults: Important administration instructions: there have been reports of chondrolysis in patients who received intra-articular infusions of local anesthetics after arthroscopic and other surgical procedures. Ropivacaine is not approved for this use. Rapid injection of a large volume of local anesthetic solution should be avoided, and fractional (incremental) doses should always be used. Give the smallest dose and concentration that produces the result you want. The dose of any local anesthetic depends on the anesthetic procedure, the area to be anesthetized, the vascularity of the tissues, the number of neuronal segments to be blocked, the depth of anesthesia and degree of muscle relaxation required, the duration of anesthesia desired, individual tolerance, and the physical condition of the patient. Patients in poor general condition because of aging or other compromising factors, such as partial or complete heart conduction block, advanced liver disease or severe renal dysfunction, need special attention, although regional anesthesia is frequently indicated in these patients. To reduce the risk of potentially serious adverse reactions, try to bring the patient's condition to the best possible state before major blocks are done, and adjust the dose to match. Give an adequate test dose (3 to 5 mL of a short acting local anesthetic solution containing epinephrine) before induction of complete block. Repeat this test dose if the patient is moved in a way that may have displaced the epidural catheter. Allow adequate time for anesthesia to begin after each test dose. These products are for single dose use and are free from preservatives, so any solution left in an opened container should be thrown away promptly. Dosage recommendations: please see the attachment (Innovator Product Monograph) for the detailed dosage guideline.