Paraldehyde 100% solution for injection 5ml ampoules
Paraldehyde was initially introduced into medical practice in the United Kingdom in 1882 by the Italian physician Vincenzo Cervello.
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Yellow Card reports
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Paraldehyde
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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2 branded products available
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
5 gram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary BNF/ATC mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 2 · Randomised trials: 1 · 1921–2024
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Shafique Ahmad, Jane Ellis, Hastings Kamwendo, et al.
The Lancet, 2006
- Administration, Intranasal
- Anticonvulsants
- Emergency Service, Hospital
W. Leigh Thompson, Allen D. Johnson, WILLIS L. MADDREY
Annals of Internal Medicine, 1975
- Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium
- Alcoholism
- Clinical Trials as Topic
Khuluza F, Haefele-Abah C
2019
- Drugs, Essential
- Commerce
- Costs and Cost Analysis
IntroductionThe Malawian government recently introduced cost-covering consultation fees for self-referral patients in tertiary public hospitals. Previously, patients received medicines free of charge in government-owned health facilities, but must pay elsewhere. Before the government implements a payment policy in other areas of health care, it is important to investigate the prices, affordability and availability of essential medicines in Malawi.MethodsData on availability and prices of 50 essential medicines were collected in 44 health facilities in two major cities and two districts. These included 12 public facilities, 11 facilities of the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), nine retail pharmacies, eight wholesalers and four private clinics/hospitals. Price, availability and affordability were assessed based on the methodology developed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International, which compares local prices to international reference prices.Results and discussionThe overall availability of medicines was 48.5% in public facilities, 71.1% in retail pharmacies, 62.9% in CHAM facilities and 57.5% in private clinics. The availability of essential medicines varied from 0% for ethosuximide to 100% for amoxicillin and cotrimoxazole tablets. Antibiotic formulations for adults were widely available, in contrast to the low availability of pediatric formulations. Several medicines for non-communicable diseases like sodium valproate, phenytoin, paraldehyde, captopril and simvastatin showed poor availability and affordability. The overall median price ratio compared to the international reference price was 1.11 for wholesalers, 2.54 in CHAM facilities, 2.70 in retail pharmacies, and 4.01 in private clinics, which is low compared to other countries. But nevertheless, for 18 out of 32 medicines assessed, the cost of one course exceeded the statutory minimum daily wage, making them unaffordable to a majority of the population. Therefore, continued provision of free public health care is still of critical importance for the foreseeable future until other financing mechanisms have been explored.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Eva Vrbková, Michaela Vaňková, Miloslav Lhotka, et al.
Molecular Catalysis, 2023
Andrew Rowland, A. Malcolm Gill, Alison Stewart, et al.
Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2009
- Acute Disease
- Administration, Rectal
- Anticonvulsants
Jia Wang, A. Turner, J. Marks, et al.
Chemphyschem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry, 2024
R.D. Myers, J.E. Evans, Tony L. Yaksh
Neuropharmacology, 1972
- Acetaldehyde
- Alcohol Drinking
- Ethanol
Mervyn Shoor
Journal of the American Medical Association, 1941
Api AM, Belsito D, Botelho D, et al.
2024
- Paraldehyde
- Odorants
R. Bangle
Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, 1954
- Coloring Agents
- Staining and Labeling
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
1 found
Half-life
7.5 hours
Mechanism
Paraldehyde is believed to reduce the release of acetylcholine in response to neuronal depolarization [A19737].
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
None mapped
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
93%
Half-life
7.5 hours
[A19738]
Metabolism
[A19738]…
Elimination
70-80%
[A19738]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[A19735]
It has been used in the treatment of seizures as an anticonvulsant .
[A19736]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 812 interactions
[A19738]
Inhalation of paraldehyde can produce sore throat, headache, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness and unconsciousness but exposure via this route is rare. Chronic use is dependence forming and withdrawal proceeds similarly to ethanol withdrawal producing hallucinations and convulsions. Toxic hepatitis and nephritis have been observed during chronic use.
The acute LD50 values determined for various species are as follows [A19738]:
Rabbit - 3.3-5 g/kg (oral)
Rat - 1.5-1.65 g/kg (oral), 1.3-1.45 g/kg (i.p.)
Dog - 3-4 g/kg (oral)
Mouse - 2.75 (oral)
Cat - 3.3 (oral)
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A19738]
[A19738]
It is thought to ultimately be metabolized to carbon dioxide and water.
[A19738]
11-28% is exhaled as the parent compound. 0.1-2.5% is excreted in the urine as the parent compound.
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
ATC N05CC05
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Paraldehyde
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
5663
ChemSpider
21106173
ZINC
ZINC000000001886
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:404
GenAtlas
ALDH2
GeneCards
ALDH2
GenBank Gene Database
X05409
GenBank Protein Database
28606
Guide to Pharmacology
2595
UniProt Accession
ALDH2_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q424342), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication. WHO INN from the World Health Organization.