Stability of a Parenteral Formulation of Betamethasone and Levobupivacaine

Background: The therapeutic management of syndromes presenting simultaneously pain and inflammation often requires the administration of anesthetic and corticosteroid drugs by epidural administration. In this article, we studied a mixture that combines betamethasone and levobupivacaine, which demonstrates prolonged analgesic effects. To our knowledge, the stability of such a mixture in epidural solution has not been examined. Objective: To evaluate the chemical, physical, and microbiological stability of an extemporaneously prepared mixture. Methods: A solution of betamethasone acetate 1 mg/mL, betamethasone phosphate 1 mg/mL, and levobupivacaine hydrochloride 0.83 mg/mL was prepared in sa…