epoprostenol sodium at a glance
Medicine class
Prostacyclin vasodilator and platelet-aggregation inhibitor
Main licensed role
Pulmonary arterial hypertension with advanced symptoms
Administration
Intravenous infusion using a pump for long-term pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment
Important safety point
The infusion must not be interrupted or changed without specialist direction
What is epoprostenol sodium used for?
Licensed uses represented by the selected product include:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension that is idiopathic, heritable or associated with connective-tissue disease, in people with advanced symptoms, to improve exercise capacity.
Emergency haemodialysis when heparin risks causing or worsening bleeding, or cannot otherwise be used.
How does epoprostenol sodium work?
Epoprostenol acts like naturally occurring prostacyclin. It relaxes pulmonary and systemic blood vessels and reduces platelet aggregation. Its effects wear off very quickly after an infusion stops.
epoprostenol sodium preparations and strengths
Solution for infusion
Route: Intravenous
Strengths: 0.5 mg, 1.5 mg
How to take epoprostenol sodium
Epoprostenol is given into a vein, usually through a portable pump and dedicated central venous catheter for long-term pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment. Patients and carers need specialist training in sterile preparation, pump operation, catheter care and emergency procedures.
Follow the specialist team's preparation and connection instructions.
Use only the prescribed diluent, reservoir, tubing, filter and pump components.
Do not use discoloured solution or solution containing particles.
Do not alter pump settings unless instructed by the specialist team.
Check the catheter site for pain, redness, swelling, leakage or discharge.
epoprostenol sodium side effects
Common or expected effects
- Headache and facial flushing
- Jaw pain or other pain
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Low blood pressure, dizziness or faintness
- Faster or slower heartbeat
- Anxiety or nervousness
- Rash or joint pain
Get urgent medical advice
- Rapidly worsening breathlessness, weakness or dizziness after infusion interruption
- Fever, chills or other signs of catheter-related bloodstream infection
- Heavy, prolonged or unexplained bleeding
- Severe low blood pressure, collapse or loss of consciousness
- New fluid in the lungs, particularly worsening breathlessness
- Pain, burning, swelling, blistering or skin shedding where solution may have leaked outside the vein
epoprostenol sodium in pregnancy
Experience during pregnancy is limited. The product information allows use when no suitable alternative exists, but pulmonary arterial hypertension makes pregnancy particularly high risk. Decisions require urgent care from pulmonary hypertension and specialist maternity teams; treatment must not be stopped suddenly.
epoprostenol sodium while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether epoprostenol enters human milk. The selected product information advises stopping breastfeeding during treatment because risk to the infant cannot be excluded. Direct breastfeeding data are unavailable, so specialist assessment is essential.
epoprostenol sodium interactions
Tell the specialist team about all prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal products, particularly those affecting blood pressure or bleeding.
Anticoagulants
Bleeding risk may increase, so standard anticoagulant monitoring remains necessary.
NSAIDs and other antiplatelet medicines
Combined effects on platelets may increase bleeding risk.
Other vasodilators or blood-pressure-lowering medicines
Blood-pressure-lowering effects may increase.
Common questions about epoprostenol sodium
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Why must epoprostenol sodium run continuously?
It is broken down within minutes, so its clinical effects disappear quickly. Interruption can cause rapid, potentially fatal rebound pulmonary arterial hypertension.
What should I do if the pump alarms?
Follow the emergency pump plan immediately, use backup equipment if trained and seek urgent specialist or emergency help. Do not change the programmed rate yourself.
Is epoprostenol sodium an anticoagulant?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.