ethamsylate

Action and Spectrum

Actions and Spectrum: 

Actions: 

Ethamsylate is a vasoprotective and antihaemorrhagic medication. It decreases capillary exudation and blood loss by increasing platelet adhesiveness and capillary vascular wall resistance.  

Spectrum: 

Ethamsylate’s hemostatic (blood-stopping) effects account for the majority of its activity spectrum. Ethamsylate is used to prevent or reduce bleeding from capillaries and other small blood vessels. It is commonly used in the following situations: heavy menstrual flow, bleeding disorders, acute capillary hemorrhage, periventricular bleeding (neonates), or intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). 

Drug Interaction

Adverse Reaction

Frequency not defined 

Rash 

Hypersensitivity reactions 

Nausea 

Hypotension 

Neutropenia 

Diarrhea 

Agranulocytosis 

Vomiting 

Thrombocytopenia 

Abdominal pain 

Asthenia 

Fever 

Arthralgia 

Thromboembolism 

Headache 

Black Box Warning

Black Box Warning: 

Ethamsylate use was not accompanied by a generally accepted black box warning. 

Oral: Maintain at 15–25°C. Store parenterally at or below 30°C. Keep out of the light. 

Contraindication / Caution

Contraindication/Caution: 

Contraindications 

• Hypersensitivity 
• Asthma 
• Acute porphyria 
• Lactation 

Cautions 

• Hypotension 
• Pregnancy 

Pregnancy / Lactation

Pregnancy consideration:  

No data is available regarding the administration of the drug during pregnancy. 

Breastfeeding warnings:  

No data is available regarding the excretion of drug in breast milk. 

Pregnancy category: 

Category A: well-controlled and satisfactory studies show no risk to the fetus in the first or later trimester. 

Category B: there was no evidence of risk to the fetus in animal studies, and there were not enough studies on pregnant women. 

Category C: there was evidence of risk of adverse effects in animal reproduction studies, and no adequate evidence in human studies must take care of potential risks in pregnant women.    

Category D: adequate data with sufficient evidence of human fetal risk from various platforms, but despite the potential risk, and used only in emergency cases for potential benefits.    

Category X: Drugs listed in this category outweigh the risks over benefits. Hence these categories of drugs need to be avoided by pregnant women.    

Category N: No data is available for the drug under this category. 

Pharmacology

Pharmacology: 

Ethamsylate is a drug that primarily functions as a hemostatic agent, which means that it reduces or prevents bleeding (hemorrhage). Its capacity to strengthen blood arteries while promoting the formation of blood clots is linked to its pharmacological activities. 

Pharmacodynamics: 

Ethamsylate helps stop bleeding since it functions as a hemostatic agent. Its main pharmacodynamic impact is to strengthen the body’s built-in hemostasis mechanisms. Capillaries and other small blood arteries become more resistant to ethamsylate. This lowers the chance of bleeding by reducing the likelihood that the blood vessel walls may rupture. The drug promotes platelet adhesion, which is essential to the process of blood clotting. Tiny cell fragments called platelets are essential for the formation of blood clots. ethamsylate facilitates the adherence of platelets to the injured blood vessel walls, thereby starting the clotting process. 

Pharmacokinetics: 

Absorption 

The oral bioavailability is low. 

The time to achieve peak effect is 4-5 hours 

Distribution 

Protein bound is 90-95%. 

Volume of distribution (Vd) is 86.6 L/kg 

Metabolism 

Limited information is available. 

Elimination and Excretion 

The half-life is 3.7-9.4 hours (oral) and 2 hours (IV) 

The drug is excreted 72% in urine. 

Adminstartion

Administration: 

The administration of ethamsylate, a medicine used for controlling bleeding, is reliant upon the particular clinical circumstances and the advice of the healthcare professional. There are several ways to get ethamsylate, such as oral pills and injectable solutions for the intramuscular or intravenous routes. 

Patient Information Leaflet

Patient information leaflet 

Generic Name: ethamsylate 

Pronounced: eth-am-si-late 

Why do we use ethamsylate?  

Ethamsylate is a drug used to manage and treat a variety of bleeding problems and irregular bleeding. It is well-known for its hemostatic (blood-clotting) characteristics.