Pharmaceutical and Clinical Evaluation of Intravenous Admixture of Dobutamine and Dopamine Used in Treatment Hypotension in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate compatibility and stability of the maximum concentration used for binary admixture containing dobutamine and dopamine in 5% glucose. The maximum concentration of each drug was 5.76 mg/ml of dobutamine and 2.88 mg/ml of dopamine in 50 ml of 5% glucose. The physical compatibility of binary admixtures was assessed using visual inspection and pH determination immediately after preparation (at 0 time) and after 24 hrs. The chemical stability was assessed using high performance thin layer chromatoghraphy (HPTLC). The method is based on HPTLC separation of the two drugs followed by densitometric measurements of their spots at 254 nm using Camag TLC Scanner 3. The mobile phase comprised ethyl acetate : n-propanol : water : glecial acetic acid (60:24:9:3, v/v/v/v). The results revealed that no precipitation, gas evaluation, color change, pH change or chemical incompatibility were observed over the entire time of mixing of two drugs in 5% glucose solution.