Disodium Edetate Medication Information

Get detailed information on Disodium Edetate, including pronunciation, uses, dosage guidelines, indications, and instructions on how and when to take it and when to avoid it.

The updated prescription information on Disodium Edetate provides an overview of possible side effects, precautions, warnings, and storage tips.

You'll also find brand names used in india and internationally, along with pricing details. For further clarification, consult your healthcare provider.

Generic Name : Disodium Edetate

Pronunciation : Di-So-dium Ede-tate

Therapeutic Classification : Chelating Agents

Trade Names/Brand Names of Disodium Edetate

India :

Fairgenol-H

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Overview of Disodium Edetate

• Disodium edetate is a chelating agent used for lowering very high serum calcium (hypercalcemia) levels in emergency situations.

Why is Disodium Edetate Prescribed? (Indications)

Disodium edetate is prescribed

• In emergency situations to lower the levels of excess calcium in the blood
• To control irregular heartbeats or ventricular arrhythmias that occur due to accumulation of toxic levels of digitalis / digoxin, a drug given for heart conditions

Disodium edetate is also known as disodium EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid).

NOTE: Edetate disodium is approved by the FDA only for treating critically high blood calcium levels, which are rare in occurrence. It is seldom used nowadays because safer methods of reducing serum calcium are available.

When should Disodium Edetate not be taken? (Contraindications)

Disodium edetate is contraindicated in patients

• Allergic to the drug
• Who have problems in the passage of urine (anuria)
• For the treatment of generalized atherosclerosis (formation of plaque in blood vessels) that occurs due to old age

NOTE: Disodium edetate is strongly contraindicated to be used instead of the other EDTA agent, calcium disodium EDTA or calcium disodium versenate used to treat serious cases of lead poisoning, or to be used in non FDA approved "chelation therapies" that falsely claim to improve the cardiovascular system. Wrong uses of the drug in both the above cases have lead to fatalities in the past.

What is the dosage of Disodium Edetate?

Dosage of disodium edetate injection
Adults: Daily dose of 50 mg/kg per body weight up to a maximum dose of 3 kg in 24 hours
Children: Daily dose is 40 mg/kg per body weight up to a maximum dose of 70 mg/kg in 24 hours

How should Disodium Edetate be taken?

• Disodium edetate is given as an intravenous infusion only after dilution in 500 ml of 5% dextrose injection or 0.5% (0.9% for children) sodium chloride injection.
• It has to be administered only by a health care professional in a hospital or clinic setting. Final concentration for children should not be more than 3%.

What are the warnings and precautions for Disodium Edetate?

• The rapid intravenous injection could produce a high serum concentration of disodium edetate quickly and cause fatal decreases in serum calcium levels.

• Toxicity appears to be dependent upon both total dosage and speed of administration.

• Disodium edetate treatment has the potential to cause electrolyte imbalance; hence cardiac function should be assessed before and during treatment.

What are the side effects of Disodium Edetate?

Gastrointestinal disorder: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Skin: Exfoliative dermatitis, toxic skin and mucous membrane reactions, transient burning and pricking
Hematological: Thrombophlebitis, febrile reactions, hyperuricemia, anemia
Others: Numbness, headache

What are the other precautions for Disodium Edetate?

The patient should lay in bed for a time after treatment due to the postural hypotension.
Do not use unless the solution is clear and the container is intact.

Use with caution on patients with
• Heart disease
• Limited cardiac reserve
• Congestive heart failure
• Low potassium levels
• Pregnant and nursing women

Edetate disodium has the potential to cause
• Low serum magnesium levels during prolonged therapy
• Low blood sugar