Cimetidine hydrochloride compatibility. II: room temperature stability in intravenous infusion fluids

The visual compatibility and chemical stability of cimetidine hydrochloride diluted in 19 intravenous infusion fluids were investigated. Cimetidine hydrochloride injection was added aseptically to large-volume parenteral solutions at concentrations of 120 and 500 mg/100 ml. Cimetidine concentration was analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography initially and after storage periods of 24, 48, 72, and 168 hours at room temperature. Cimetidine hydrochloride in each of the dilutions remained visually compatible for one week, exhibiting no changes in color, clarity, or odor; pH values remained constant. The addition of cimetidine to Normosol-R pH 7.4 resulted in solutions having pH values of 6.3 and 6.0 at 120 and 500 mg/100 ml, respectively. Cimetidine remained chemically stable in each of the intravenous fluids studied. Cimetidine hydrochloride is visually and chemically stable for at least one week when added to the intravenous fluids studied at concentrations of 120 and 500 mg/100 ml and stored at ambient room temperature.