Interaction of heparin sodium and dopamine hydrochloride in admixtures studied by microcalorimetry

Microcalorimetry was used to investigate the interaction between dopamine hydrochloride and heparin sodium in 5% dextrose injection and in 0.9% sodium chloride injection. Heat of reaction (in microjoules) was measured by flow calorimetry for the following combinations of solutions: dopamine hydrochloride solution and heparin sodium solution prepared from powdered forms of the drugs in water; solutions of the powdered drugs in 5% dextrose injection; solutions of the powdered drugs in 0.9% sodium chloride injection; solutions prepared in 5% dextrose injection from commercial dopamine hydrochloride injection and commercial heparin sodium injection; and solutions prepared in 0.9% sodium chloride injection from the commercial drug injections. Mixing the solutions of the powdered drugs in water caused heat to be evolved, as did mixing the solutions of the powdered drugs diluted with 5% dextrose injection and the commercial injections diluted with 5% dextrose injection. The interactions of the two drugs were believed to be ionic, based on the exothermic nature of the reaction. No heat of reaction was measurable when sodium chloride was used as the diluent. Based on this preliminary investigation, admixtures containing heparin sodium and dopamine hydrochloride should be mixed in 0.9% sodium chloride injection to minimize the risk of interaction between the two drugs.