Activase and Scopolamine

• Generic Name: alteplase
• Dosage Forms: injection
• Other Brand Names: Activase, Cathflo Activase

Activase is a thrombolytic (THROM-bo-LIT-ik) drug, sometimes called a "clot-busting" drug. It helps your body produce a substance that dissolves unwanted blood clots.

Activase is used to treat a stroke caused by a blood clot or other obstruction in a blood vessel. This medicine is also used to prevent death from a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction).

Activase is also used to treat a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism).

Activase is also used to dissolve blood clots that have formed in or around a catheter placed inside a blood vessel. This improve the flow of medicines injected in through the catheter, or blood drawn out through the catheter.

Activase may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

• Generic Name: scopolamine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Transderm-Scop

Prevention of motion-induced nausea and vomiting; considered most effective drug for this use.

Oral or IM administration usually reserved for patients exposed to short periods of intense motion or those highly susceptible to motion because these routes have short duration of effect and high incidence of adverse effects.

Transdermal administration is effective and has fewer adverse effects and increased duration compared with oral administration.

Used transdermally for prevention of nausea and vomiting associated with recovery from anesthesia and surgery, but efficacy is equivocal.

Has been used preoperatively to inhibit salivation and excessive respiratory tract secretions, but use of general anesthetics (e.g., thiopental [no longer commercially available in the US], halothane) that do not stimulate secretions has reduced the need for this use.

Used preoperatively and in obstetrics in conjunction with analgesics or sedatives to produce tranquilization and amnesia; however, benzodiazepines may be preferred.

Has greater sedative, antisecretory (e.g., on respiratory secretions), and antiemetic effects than atropine; however, less effective than atropine in preventing intraoperative cholinergic effects (e.g., cardiac arrhythmias, hypotension, bradycardia).

Has been used for symptomatic treatment of parkinsonian syndrome; however, antimuscarinincs generally have been replaced with dopaminergic drugs.