Name
- Hydromorphone hydrochloride.
Class of drug
- Scheduled Class II opioid (narcotic).
- Controlled substance.
Uses
Action
- Primarily acts at opioid receptors in the central nervous system.
- Acts as a pure opioid agonist at mu receptors (OP3).
- Interaction with mu opioid receptors produces supraspinal analgesia.
- Also produces some degree of sedation.
- May also interact with opioid receptors in peripheral tissue when given locally (for example in wounds and synovial membrane).
Indications
- Use as an opioid analgesic.
- A cost-effective alternative to oxymorphone.
- For the relief of pain.
- Can be used pre-emptively for elective surgical procedures.
- Can be used to relieve pain from trauma.
- Has also been used to provide longer-term pain relief, eg that caused by osteosarcoma.
Adverse reactions
Effects of overdosage
- May cause respiratory depression, sedation and bradycardia.
- Animals are less susceptible to the respiratory depressant effects of opioids than humans.
Other reported reactions
- Respiratory depression.
- Bradycardia.
- Vomiting.
- Panting.
- Adverse effects are less commonly seen in animals that are painful at the time of administration.
Treatment
- Opioid antagonists naloxone
and naltrexone. - These agents will also reverse analgesia.
- May also be partially reversed with butorphanol thereby maintaining some analgesia.
- Bradycardia can be treated with atropine or glycopyrrolate .
