Bivalirudin Intravenous and Butorphanol Tartrate

• Generic Name: bivalirudin
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Angiomax

Bivalirudin is used together with aspirin to decrease the clotting ability of the blood and to help prevent harmful clots from forming in the blood vessels. It is used in patients who are having certain heart and blood vessel procedures, such as coronary angioplasty.

Bivalirudin is available only with your doctor's prescription.

• Generic Name: butorphanol
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Stadol, Stadol NS

Relief of pain that is severe enough to require an opiate analgesic and for which alternative treatment options (e.g., nonopiate analgesics) have not been, or are not expected to be, adequate or tolerated.

Preoperative sedation and analgesia and as a supplement to surgical anesthesia.

Obstetric analgesia during labor.

Management of pain associated with migraine headache.

In equianalgesic doses, parenteral butorphanol is as effective as morphine, meperidine, and pentazocine, but relative potential for abuse reportedly is less than that of codeine or propoxyphene.

In symptomatic treatment of acute pain, reserve opiate analgesics for pain resulting from severe injuries, severe medical conditions, or surgical procedures, or when nonopiate alternatives for relieving pain and restoring function are expected to be ineffective or are contraindicated. Use smallest effective dosage for shortest possible duration since long-term opiate use often begins with treatment of acute pain. Optimize concomitant use of other appropriate therapies. (See Managing Opiate Therapy for Acute Pain under Dosage and Administration.)