Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate

For the treatment of the following conditions:

Ophthalmic: Steroid responsive inflammatory conditions of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, cornea, and anterior segment of the globe, such as allergic conjunctivitis, acne rosacea, superficial punctate keratitis, herpes zoster keratitis, iritis, cyclitis, selected infective conjunctivitis when the inherent hazard of steroid use is accepted to obtain an advisable diminution in edema and inflammation; corneal injury from chemical or thermal burns, or penetration of foreign bodies.

Otic: Steroid responsive inflammatory conditions of the external auditory meatus, such as allergic otitis externa, selected purulent and nonpurulent infective otitis externa when the hazard of steroid use is accepted to obtain an advisable diminution in edema and inflammation.

The duration of treatment will vary with the type of lesion and may extend from a few days to several weeks, according to therapeutic response. Relapses, more common in chronic active lesions than in self-limited conditions, usually respond to retreatment.

Eye: Instill one or two drops of solution into the conjunctival sac every hour during the day and every two hours during the night as initial therapy. When a favorable response is observed, reduce dosage to one drop every four hours. Later, further reduction in dosage to one drop three or four times daily may suffice to control symptoms.

Ear: Clean the aural canal thoroughly and sponge dry. Instill the solution directly into the aural canal. A suggested initial dosage is three or four drops two or three times a day. When a favorable response is obtained, reduce dosage gradually and eventually discontinue.

If preferred, the aural canal may be packed with a gauze wick saturated with solution. Keep the wick moist with the preparation and remove from the ear after 12 to 24 hours. Treatment may be repeated as often as necessary at the discretion of the physician.

Glaucoma with optic nerve damage, visual acuity and field defects, posterior subcapsular cataract formation, secondary ocular infection from pathogens including herpes simplex, perforation of the globe.

Rarely, filtering blebs have been reported when topical steroids have been used following cataract surgery.

Rarely, stinging or burning may occur.

Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Ophthalmic Solution USP, is a sterile, topical steroid solution. The active ingredient is represented by the following structural formula:

C22H28FNa2O8P

Mol. wt. 516.41

Chemical Name: 9-fluoro-11β, 17-dihydroxy-16α-methyl-21-[phosphonooxy]pregna-1, 4-diene-3,20-dione disodium salt.

Glucocorticoids are adrenocortical steroids, both naturally occurring and synthetic. Dexamethasone is a synthetic analog of naturally occurring glucocorticoids (hydrocortisone and cortisone). Dexamethasone sodium phosphate is a water soluble, inorganic ester of dexamethasone. It is approximately three thousand times more soluble at 25°C than hydrocortisone.

Each mL Contains: ACTIVE: Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate, [equivalent to 1 mg (0.1%) Dexamethasone Phosphate]. INACTIVES: Sodium Citrate, Sodium Borate, Creatinine, Polysorbate 80, Edetate Disodium Dihydrate, Purified Water. Hydrochloric Acid may be added to adjust pH (6.6 - 7.8). PRESERVATIVES ADDED: Sodium Bisulfite 0.1%, Phenylethyl Alcohol 0.25%, Benzalkonium Chloride 0.02%.

Dexamethasone sodium phosphate suppresses the inflammatory response to a variety of agents and it probably delays or slows healing. No generally accepted explanation of these steroid properties have been advanced.

Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate Ophthalmic Solution USP 0.1%, is supplied in a plastic squeeze bottle with a controlled drop tip in the following size: 5 mL - Prod. No. 04407

Storage: Store between 15°-30°C (59°-86°F).

DO NOT USE IF IMPRINTED NECKBAND IS NOT INTACT.

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

Bausch & Lomb Incorporated

Tampa, FL 33637

©Bausch & Lomb Incorporated

9100200 (Folded)
9100300 (Flat)

Prolonged use may result in ocular hypertension and/or glaucoma, with damage to the optic nerve, defects in visual acuity and fields of vision, and posterior subcapsular cataract formation. Prolonged use may suppress the host response and thus increase the hazard of secondary ocular infections. In those diseases causing thinning of the cornea or sclera, perforations have been known to occur with the use of topical corticosteroids. In acute purulent conditions of the eye or ear, corticosteroids may mask infection or enhance existing infection. If these products are used for 10 days or longer, intraocular pressure should be routinely monitored even though it may be difficult in children and uncooperative patients.

Employment of corticosteroid medication in the treatment of herpes simplex other than epithelial herpes simplex keratitis, in which it is contraindicated, requires great caution; periodic slit-lamp microscopy is essential.

This product contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in certain susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown and probably low. Sulfite sensitivity is seen more frequently in asthmatic than in nonasthmatic people.