MassGeneral Hospital for Children

Department of Pharmacy

Department of Nursing

Pediatric/Neonatal Critical Care

 

Generic Name:

Hydroxocobalamin

Trade Name:

Cyanokit

Action:

Hydroxocobalamin binds to cyanide forming cyanocobalamin and is excreted in the urine

Indications:

Treatment of known or suspected cyanide poisoning

Administration Guidelines:

Diluent is not included in the kit; each 2.5g vial is reconstituted with 100mL of 0.9% NaCl

Usual Dosage Range and Route:

DOSE (IV) :

•  Initial : 70mg/kg (maximum dose: 5g) IV infusion over 15 minutes

•  Give second dose (70mg/kg, max: 5g) based on severity of poisoning and clinical response; infuse over 15 minutes to 2 hours, as clinically indicated

•  Maximum Total Dose : 10 g

Special Considerations:

  • Use only if solution is dark red.
  • Stable for 6 hours at room temperature.
  • Collection of pretreatment blood cyanide concentrations should not delay administration in the emergent situation of suspected or known cyanide toxicity.
  • Monitoring parameters: blood pressure and heart rate during and after infusion, serum lactate levels, and venous-arterial PO 2 gradient.
  • Pretreatment levels of blood cyanide concentration, serum lactate levels, and venous-arterial PO 2 gradient may be useful as post-infusion levels may be inaccurate.
  • Due to observed physical incompatibilities (particulate formation), the following medications should not be administered simultaneously through the same line as hydroxocobalamin.
    • Diazepam ? Nitroglycerin
    • Dobutamine ? Pentobarbital
    • Dopamine ? Propofol
    • Fentanyl ? Thiopental
  • Due to observed chemical incompatibilities, the following medications should not be administered simultaneously through the same line as hydroxocobalamin.
    • Sodium thiosulfate ? Ascorbic acid
    • Sodium nitrate

 

Precautions and Side Effects:

  • Elevations in blood pressure
  • Headache
  • Transient red coloration of urine (may last up to 5 weeks)
  • Transient red coloration of skin and mucous membrane (may last up to 2 weeks)
  • Acne-like rash
  • May cause a false elevation of levels with automated colorimetric measures of AST, total bilirubin, creatinine, magnesium, and iron; it should not cause any clinical effects, but treating clinicians should be aware that the labs (especially total bilirubin) may be artificially elevated

 

Rev: 4/08