WARNINGS
10% Calcium Chloride Injection, USP is irritating to veins and must not be injected into tissues, since severe necrosis and sloughing may occur. Great care should be taken to avoid extravasation or accidental injection into perivascular tissues.
WARNING: This product contains aluminum that may be toxic. Aluminum may reach toxic levels with prolonged parenteral administration if kidney function is impaired. Premature neonates are particularly at risk because their kidneys are immature, and they require large amounts of calcium and phosphate solutions, which contain aluminum.
Research indicates that patients with impaired kidney function, including premature neonates, who receive parenteral levels of aluminum at greater than 4 to 5 mcg/kg/day accumulate aluminum at levels associated with central nervous system and bone toxicity. Tissue loading may occur at even lower rates of administration.
PRECAUTIONS
Do not administer unless solution is clear and seal is intact. Discard unused portion.
Because of its additive effect, calcium should be administered very cautiously to a patient who is digitalized or who is taking effective doses of digitalis or digitalis-like preparations.
Injections should be made slowly through a small needle into a large vein to minimize venous irritation and avoid undesirable reactions. It is particularly important to prevent a high concentration of calcium from reaching the heart because of the danger of cardiac syncope. If injected into the ventricular cavity in cardiac resuscitation, it must not be injected into the myocardial tissue.
Pregnancy: Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with calcium chloride. It also is not known whether calcium chloride can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Calcium chloride should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.