Storage of lorazepam in three injectable solutions in polyvinyl chloride and polyolefin bags

The stability of lorazepam 0.1 mg/mL in three intravenous infusion solutions in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyolefin bags at 37, 24, 4, and -20 degrees C was evaluated over seven days of storage. Triplicate test solutions of lorazepam 0.1 mg/mL in 50-mL PVC bags and 50-mL polyolefin bags containing 0.9% sodium chloride injection, 5% dextrose injection, and lactated Ringer's injection were prepared and stored at 37, 24, and 4 degrees C. Samples were removed initially and at various times over seven days and analyzed for lorazepam content. In addition, lorazepam 0.1 mg/mL in 5% dextrose injection in polyolefin bags was stored at -20 degrees C and samples were removed initially and after seven days and analyzed for lorazepam content. The rate of lorazepam sorptive loss to PVC bags was evaluated with lorazepam 0.1 mg/mL in 5% dextrose injection in PVC bags and stored at 24 degrees C. Samples were removed initially and after two, four, six, and eight hours. High-performance liquid chromatography was performed in duplicate on each sample for lorazepam quantitation. Rapid loss of lorazepam occurred in all samples stored in PVC bags. After seven days at 4 degrees C, 8-9% was lost from 0.9% sodium chloride injection and 5% dextrose injection. At 24 degrees C, 17% was lost in 24 hours; at 37 degrees C, 27-29% was lost in 24 hours. About 10% of the lorazepam was lost from the lactated Ringer's solution in PVC bags after three days at 4 degrees C; 25% was lost in 24 hours at 24 degrees C; and 25% was lost in eight hours at 37 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)