Paraldehyde
Systematic (IUPAC) name
2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3,5-trioxane
Identifiers
CAS number	123-63-7
ATC code	N05CC05
PubChem	?
Chemical data
Formula	C6H12O3
Mol. mass	132.16
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	?
Metabolism	?
Half life	?
Excretion	?
Therapeutic considerations
Pregnancy cat.	C Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 637 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1100 × 1036 pixel, file size: 223 KB, MIME type: image/png) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Paraldehyde ... IUPAC nomenclature is a system of naming chemical compounds and of describing the science of chemistry in general. ... CAS registry numbers are unique numerical identifiers for chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures and alloys. ... The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System is used for the classification of drugs. ... A section of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. ... PubChem is a database of chemical molecules. ... A chemical formula (also called molecular formula) is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... General Name, Symbol, Number carbon, C, 6 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 14, 2, p Appearance black (graphite) colorless (diamond) Atomic mass 12. ... This article is about the chemistry of hydrogen. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... The molecular mass (abbreviated MM) of a substance, formerly also called molecular weight and abbreviated as MW, is the mass of one molecule of that substance, relative to the unified atomic mass unit u (equal to 1/12 the mass of one atom of carbon-12). ... In pharmacology, bioavailability is used to describe the fraction of an administered dose of medication that reaches the systemic circulation, one of the principal pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. ... Drug metabolism is the metabolism of drugs, their biochemical modification or degradation, usually through specialized enzymatic systems. ... It has been suggested that Effective half-life be merged into this article or section. ... Excretion is the process of eliminating waste products of metabolism and other materials that are of no use. ... The pregnancy category of a pharmaceutical agent is an assessment of the risk of fetal injury due to the pharmaceutical, if it is used as directed by the mother during pregnancy. ...
Legal status	POM (UK) The regulation of therapeutic goods, that is drugs and therapeutic devices, varies by jurisdiction. ...
Routes	Oral/Rectal/Injection

Paraldehyde is the cyclic form of three acetaldehyde molecules (a trimer). A colourless to pale yellow pungent liquid, it is sparingly soluble in water and highly soluble in alcohol. It has industrial and medical uses. It was first synthesized in 1829 by Wildenbusch. Paraldehyde decomposes in air, turning brown and producing an odour of acetic acid (and must then be disposed of). It quickly reacts with most plastics and rubber. In pharmacology and toxicology, a route of administration is the path by which a drug, fluid, poison or other substance is brought into contact with the body 1. ... R-phrases , , S-phrases , , , Flash point −39 °C Autoignition temperature 185 °C RTECS number AB1925000 Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic chemical compound best recognized for giving vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. ...

Medical applications

Paraldehyde was introduced into clinical practice in the UK by the Italian physician Vincenzo Cervello in 1882. It is a CNS depressant and was soon found to be an effective anticonvulsant, hypnotic and sedative. It was included in some cough medicines as an expectorant (though this may have relied on the placebo effect: if it tastes horrible then it must be good for you). It was commonly used to induce sleep in sufferers from delirium tremens but has been replaced by other drugs in this regard. It is one of the safest hypnotics and was regularly given at bedtime in psychiatric hospitals and geriatric wards up to the 1960s. Up to 30% of the dose is excreted via the lungs (the rest via the liver). This contributes to a strong unpleasant odour on the breath. // Toxic and Intoxicated redirect here – toxic has other uses, which can be found at Toxicity (disambiguation); for the state of being intoxicated by alcohol see Drunkenness. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Solution. ... This article describes water from a scientific and technical perspective. ... The melting point of a crystalline solid is the temperature at which it changes state from solid to liquid. ... The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which it can change its state from a liquid to a gas throughout the bulk of the liquid at a given pressure. ... The flash point of a flammable liquid is the lowest temperature at which it can form an ignitable mixture with air. ... Relative density (also known as specific gravity) is a measure of the density of a material. ... A diagram showing the CNS: 1. ... See also sedative. ... The anticonvulsants, sometimes also called antiepileptics, belong to a diverse group of pharmaceuticals used in prevention of the occurrence of epileptic seizures. ... Hypnotic drugs are a class of drugs that induce sleep, used in the treatment of severe insomnia. ... A sedative is a substance which depresses the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety, sleepiness, slowed breathing, slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. ... A cough medicine is a drug used to treat coughing and related conditions. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Placebo. ... For the beer, see Delirium Tremens (beer). ... A psychiatric hospital (also called at various places and times, mental hospital, mental ward, sanitarium or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ... Geriatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on health promotion and the prevention and treatment of disease and disability in later life. ...

Today, paraldehyde is used to treat status epilepticus. Unlike phenobarbital, it does not suppress breathing at therapeutic doses and so is safer when no resuscitation facilities exist or when the patient's breathing is already compromised. This makes it a useful emergency medication for parents and other carers of children with epilepsy. Since the dose margin between the anticonvulsant and hypnotic effect is small, paraldehyde treatment usually results in sleep. Phenobarbital (also phenobarbitone) (Luminal®) is a weak acid with the chemical formula C12H12N2O3. ...

Generic paraldehyde is available in 5ml sealed glass ampoules. The tradename in the US is Paral®.

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 231 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (242 × 628 pixel, file size: 14 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A glass ampoule of 5ml Paraldephyde 100% v/v and Hydroquinone. ...

Administration

Paraldehyde can be taken orally, rectally or by intravenous or intramuscular injection.

• Injection. Paraldehyde is no longer given by injection since this can be very painful and lead to sterile abscesses, nerve damage, and tissue necrosis.

• Oral. Used as a sedative. Paraldehyde has a hot burning taste and can upset the stomach. It is usually mixed with milk or fruit juice in a glass cup and stirred with a metal spoon.

• Rectal. Used to treat status epilepticus. It is mixed 1 part paraldehyde with 9 parts saline or, alternatively, with an equal mixture of Arachis or olive oil. This mixture cannot be made up in advance, which delays administration. Despite the reaction with plastic syringes and the rubber portion of the plunger, it is commonly given rectally via a plastic syringe and tube. The preparation and administration must therefore be done as quickly as possible.

A bottle of peanut oil Peanut oil is an organic oil derived from peanuts, noted to have the slight aroma and taste of its parent legume. ... A bottle of olive oil. ...

Industrial applications

Paraldehyde has numerous alternate chemical names including paracetaldehyde, s-trimethyltrioxymethylene, and trimethyl-1,3,5-trioxane. Paraldehyde is used in resin manufacture, as a preservative, and in other processes as a solvent. Resin of a pine Insect trapped in resin. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ... For other uses, see Solvent (disambiguation). ...

References

• Paraldehyde Injection B.P Data Sheet
• Drugs.com: Paraldehyde
• A Practical Treatise on Materia Medica and Therapeutics by Robers Bartholow. 1887.
• British National Formulary Edition 50.
• Paraldehyde Chemical Data

External links

• Links to external chemical sources