SUMMARY OF PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

1 NAME OF THE MEDICINAL PRODUCT

Bupivacaine Hydrochloride 1mg/ml and Fentanyl 2microgram/ml Solution for Injection/Infusion

2    QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION

Each millilitre of solution for injection/infusion contains

Bupivacaine Hydrochloride 1mg/ml Fentanyl (as Citrate) 2microgram/ml

For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1

3    PHARMACEUTICAL FORM

Solution for injection/infusion The sterile product is for epidural use

4    CLINICAL PARTICULARS

4.1    Therapeutic indications

Bupivacaine hydrochloride 1mg/ml Injection and Fentanyl 2 microgram/ml Solution for Injection/infusion is used via epidural infusion and / or bolus administration to treat pain in labour and the postoperative period.

4.2 Posology and method of administration

This injection should only be administered under the supervision of a suitably qualified anaesthetist.

After the administration of a test dose, Bupivacaine Hydrochloride 1mg/ml and Fentanyl 2microgram/ml Solution for Injection/Infusion has been administered using the following regimens:

Epidural infusion:

•    Slow injection of a loading dose of 10 to 20 ml

•    Infusion at 5-20 ml/h

Epidural intermittent boluses:

•    Slow injection of a loading dose of 10 to 20 ml

•    Top-ups of 3-20 ml repeated on demand

The dosage may vary from patient to patient and the rate may need to be varied from time to time, titrated to effect. Regimes for post-operative pain in particular may need to be varied according to intensity of pain and site of surgery.

To avoid overdose:

•    Where conscious, maintain verbal contact with the patient throughout

•    Record pulse and blood pressure

•    In the case of labour, monitor foetal heart rate every 5 minutes for 20 minutes

•    Monitoring of the patient’s blood pressure should be continued every 30 minutes.

•    Following commencement of an infusion, blood pressure should be monitored every 30 minutes, and height of sensory block every hour.

4.3 Contraindications

The use of Bupivacaine Hydrochloride 1mg/ml and Fentanyl 2 microgram/ml Solution for Injection/Infusion is contraindicated in case of:

•    hypersensitivity to bupivicaine, fentanyl or to any of the excipients,

•    acute respiratory depression,

•    acute alcoholism,

•    acute abdomen,

•    raised intracranial pressure or head injury,

•    phaeochromocytoma,

•    concurrent administration of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’s) or

within 2 weeks of their discontinuation,

•    intravenous regional anaesthesia (Bier’s block)

•    hypovolaemia and complete heart block.

The general contraindications of epidural anaesthesia include:

•    Active disease of the central nervous system such as meningitis, poliomyelitis, intracranial haemorrhage, sub-acute combined degeneration of the cord due to pernicious anaemia and cerebral and spinal tumours, tuberculosis of the spine.

•    Pyogenic infection of the skin at or adjacent to the site of lumbar puncture.

•    Cardiogenic or hypovolaemic shock.

•    Coagulation disorders or ongoing anticoagulation treatment.

4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use

The utmost care should be taken to avoid an accidental intravascular injection.

Rapid onset of sensory or motor blockade with/without hypotension may indicate accidental intrathecal injection.

Ensure the availability of oxygen, artificial airways, IV fluids and suitable vasopressors (eg Ephedrine) and secure adequate venous access.

Caution should be used in patients with hypotension, hypothyroidism, asthma, decreased respiratory reserve, prostatic hypertrophy, convulsive disorders, shock and adrenocorticol insufficiency. A reduced dose may be needed in patients with hepatic impairment, renal impairment, the elderly and the debilitated.

Bupivacaine Hydrochloride should be administered with caution to patients with cardiovascular disease, hypertension or hyperthyroidism.

4.5 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

• Alcohol, antipsychotics such as droperidol, anxiolytics or hypnotics may enhance the sedative and hypotensive effects if administered at the same time.

•    Cisapride, domperidone and metoclopramide may antagonise the gastrointestinal effects.

•    Beta-blockers, especially propanolol, will increase the risk of bupivacaine toxicity.

•    Antihypertensives, especially verapamil, may cause severe hypotension and bradycardia during epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine.

Bupivacaine in the blood is a potent inhibitor of plasma cholinesterase, so would interfere with the measurement of that enzyme.

4.6 Pregnancy and lactation

Studies using iv fentanyl during labour detected fentanyl in breast milk, but at levels which were low enough to permit breast feeding. The use of Fentanyl by the epidural route permits lower doses (although the elimination half-life may be extended). The use of fentanyl epidurally during labour need not preclude initiation of breast feeding. The potential risk to the new-born should however be borne in mind

Bupivacaine enters the mother’s milk, but in such small quantities that there is no risk of affecting the child at small therapeutic dose levels. There is no evidence of untoward effects in human pregnancy.

4.7 Effects on ability to drive and use machines

Where early discharge is envisaged, patients should be advised not to drive or operate machinery for 24 hours. A formal clinical test of motor power is advised.

4.8 Undesirable effects

It should be noted that the levels of each active component in this injection are below those typically used when administered singly. The risk of undesirable effects should therefore be lower, and their occurrence may be an indication of accidental intrathecal or other misrouted injection.

Adverse side effects associated with intravenous fentanyl citrate include nausea, vomiting, constipation, drowsiness, confusion, micturition difficulties, dry mouth, sweating, facial flushing, vertigo, bradycardia, palpitations, orthostatic hypotension, hypothermia, restlessness, changes of mood, hallucinations, miosis, raised intracranial pressure, muscle failure, rigidity, respiratory depression, convulsions, rabdomyolysis, dilation of pupils, hypoxia, pulmonary oedema.

Side effects of bupivacaine include confusion, respiratory depression and convulsions, hypotension and bradycardia, which may lead to cardiac arrest. Shivering may occur, but is infrequently troublesome.

4.9 Overdose

It should be noted that the levels of each active component in this injection are below those typically used when administered singly. The risks of overdose should therefore be lower, and its occurrence may be an indication of accidental intrathecal or other misrouted injection.

The symptoms of overdosage by Fentanyl Citrate are essentially an extension of the pharmacological effects. Respiratory depression may be reversed using naloxone in combination with other supportive measures such as mechanical ventilation. If respiratory depression is associated with muscular rigidity, then the use of suxamethonium has been successful in reversing the effects.

Bradycardia may be treated with atropine sulphate.

The symptoms of overdosage by Bupivacaine Hydrochloride are systemic toxicity if plasma concentrations become great enough for the drug to exert its membrane-stabilizing effect on the central nervous system and the myocardium. All local anaesthetics have very similar toxic effects. Initial features may include anxiety, tinnitus, circumoral numbness, a metallic taste in the mouth and irrational behaviour. Then there is a loss of consciousness and the patient may convulse and finally become apnoeic. Death may occur unless effective supportive therapy is instituted. The airways must be maintained and the lungs must be ventilated with oxygen. Convulsions should be controlled with small incremental doses of thiopentone (25-50mg) or diazepam (2.55mg) given intravenously.

With Bupivacaine, cardiac arrest may occur before the CNS symptoms, and treatment may be prolonged and difficult. Bretylium may be required.

In the event of hypotension, TURN the epidural infusion OFF, lie patient on his/her left hand side (if pregnant), elevate feet (DO NOT tip bed head down), rapidly administer 500ml Hartmanns solution or colloid intravenously, administer oxygen via face mask, administer ephedrine injection. Ephedrine injection should be administered by a qualified medical practitioner.

If the block rises above the desired level, reduce or discontinue the infusion as directed by a qualified anaesthetist.

5 PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties Fentanyl Citrate

Fentanyl primarily affects the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract, and has the typical opioid actions of analgesia and respiratory depression. By the epidural route 100mcg has an onset of action of 4-6 min, a time to peak effect of 10-20 min, and a duration of action of 2-3 hours.

Fentanyl is a potent respiratory depressant and reduces brain stem respiratory responsiveness to carbon dioxide and peripheral chemoreceptor input during hypoxaemia. It exerts minimal effects on the circulation. There is a vagallymediated bradycardia and a slight fall in systemic vascular resistance. There is a reduction in metabolic activity following fentanyl, and hence in oxygen consumption.

Nausea and vomiting is due to stimulation of the chemoreceptor trigger zone. Cough suppression, pupillary constriction and itching of the nose occur.

Bupivacaine Hydrochloride

In common with other local anaesthetics, bupivacaine acts to block conduction in the nerves by decreasing or stopping the large transient increase in permeability of the cell membrane to sodium ions that follows depolarization of that membrane. The exact mechanism by which bupivacaine and the other local anaesthetics block conduction is thought to be because they bind to a specific receptor site within sodium channels.

Bupivacaine is roughly four times as potent as lignocaine, but the onset of action is a little slower. Bupivacaine has a longer duration of action and this also results in lower toxicity.

5.2 Pharmacokinetic properties Fentanyl citrate

Fentanyl is highly lipophilic with an apparent octanol/water partition coefficient at pH 7.4 of 955 compared to 1.4 for morphine. After epidural administration the decay curve corresponds to a two-compartment model, with a rapid distribution half-life (t^a) of 2.2 min (iv= 8 min), and a slower elimination half-life (t^P) of 244min (iv = 89 min). Cmax = 0.81±1.13 ng/ml; Tmax = 1.00±1.33h; AUC = 1.17±0.88ng/ml; VD = 7.58l/kg.

Bupivacaine hydrochloride

Bupivacaine is rapidly absorbed from the site of injection, the rate of rise in plasma concentration and the peak plasma concentration depending on the particular local anaesthetic technique being used. There is also some interindividual variation, and peak systemic concentrations may occur between 5 and 30 minutes after administration. The addition of a vasoconstrictor will delay absorption and result in lower plasma concentrations. The liver is the main site of metabolism.

For an amide, bupivacaine has a longer elimination half life of 2.7 hours, a low plasma clearance rate of 0.58l/min and a small volume distribution (73 1). The greater risk of systemic toxicity implied by these figures is balanced by greater potency and duration of action, reducing the dose required.

Bupivacaine is about 95% bound to plasma proteins. Reported half-lives are from 1.5 to 5.5 hours in adults and about 8 hours in neonates. It is metabolised in the liver and is excreted in the urine principally as metabolites with only 5 to 6 % as unchanged drug.

Renal disease is unlikely to alter the kinetics of bupivacaine to any great extent, though there is evidence for a slight reduction in the elimination in old age. Severe liver disease would be expected to increase the half life of the drug, as bupivacaine is metabolised in the liver. Less than 10% of the dose is excreted unchanged in the urine.

5.3 Preclinical safety data

There are no pre-clinical safety data of relevance to the prescriber which are additional to that already included in other sections of the SPC.

6 PHARMACEUTICAL PARTICULARS

6.1 List of excipients

Sodium Chloride

Dilute Hydrochloric Acid Water for Injections

6.2 Incompatibilities

This product is incompatible with methohexital, pentobarbital and thiopental.

6.3 Shelf life

2 Years

Special precautions for storage

Do not store above 25°C

Keep the container in the outer carton.

6.5 Nature and contents of container

10ml clear Type I glass vial with Type I rubber stopper and aluminium crimp seal.

Vials are packed in cartons. Cartons contain 1 or 10 vials.

6.6 Special precautions for disposal

Single use only. Discard any remaining solution in the appropriate manner.

7 MARKETING AUTHORISATION HOLDER

Aurum Pharmaceuticals Ltd Bampton Road, Harold Hill Romford, Essex RM3 8UG

8    MARKETING AUTHORISATION NUMBER(S)

PL 12064/0062

9 DATE OF FIRST AUTHORISATION/RENEWAL OF THE AUTHORISATION

20/11/2009

DATE OF REVISION OF THE TEXT

20/11/2009