Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
3041160 
Technical Report 
Absorption of intramuscular chlordiazepoxide (Librium) in patients with severe alcoholic liver disease 
Robinson, JO; Whitney, HAK; Guisti, DL; Morgan, DD; Mendenhall, CL 
1983 
IPA/84/579163 
J 
REF 44 
1983 
English 
IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP A study was undertaken in 5 normal volunteers and 15 patients with alcoholic liver disease to define the absorption characteristics of 25 mg chlordiazepoxide hydrochloride (Librium; I) administered IM and to determine if the supplied diluent affects the rate and extent of I absorption. Four patients received I dissolved in the diluent supplied by the manufacturer (20% propylene glycol, 4% polysorbate 80, 1.6% maleic acid, and 1.5% benzyl alcohol). Eleven patients and the 5 controls received I dissolved in saline (sodium chloride). Results showed that control subjects absorbed I slowly, with an absorption half-life of 3.0 h and a peak concentration of 0.8 mcg/ml, reached in 7.2 h. The alcoholic liver disease patients showed significantly slower absorption with an absorption half-life of 9.0 h and a peak concentration of 0.7 mcg/ml, reached in 19.1 h. The 4 patients who received I dissolved in the manufacturer's diluent had an even slower rate of absorption. The absorption half-life was 16.1 h with significantly lower peak concentrations of 0.3 mcg/ml reached at 35 h. The elimination half-life of I was 40.1 h for the patients versus 15.2 h for the controls. It was recommended that if I was used for withdrawal symptoms of acute alcoholism, it should be administered orally, since this route results in prompt and adequate blood levels.