Sodium nitroprusside

Sodium nitroprusside
	Molecular structure of this compound (top), and a picture of a sample (bottom).
Clinical data
Trade names	Nipride, Nitropress, others
Other names	SNP
AHFS/Drugs.com	Monograph
License data	US FDA: Nitroprusside;
Pregnancy; category	AU: C; ;
Routes of; administration	Intravenous
ATC code	C02DD01 (WHO) QC02DD01 (vet);
Legal status
Legal status	AU: S4 (Prescription only); CA: ℞-only; UK: POM (Prescription only); US: ℞-only;
Pharmacokinetic data
Bioavailability	100% (intravenous)
Metabolism	By haemoglobin being converted to cyanmethaemoglobin and cyanide ions
Onset of action	nearly immediate
Elimination half-life	<2 minutes (3 days for thiocyanate metabolite)
Duration of action	1 to 10 minutes
Excretion	kidney (100%; as thiocyanate)
Identifiers
	IUPAC name Sodium pentacyanidonitrosylferrate(III);
CAS Number	13755-38-9;
PubChem CID	11953895;
DrugBank	DB00325;
ChemSpider	21170789;
UNII	EAO03PE1TC;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL136478;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID7041126 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.119.126
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C5FeN6Na2O
Molar mass	261.921 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
Density	1.72 g/cm3
Solubility in water	100 mg/mL (20 °C)
	SMILES [Na+].[Na+].O=N[Fe--](C#N)(C#N)(C#N)(C#N)C#N;
	InChI InChI=1S/5CN.Fe.NO.2Na/c51-2;;1-2;;/q;;;;;2-1;2*+1; Key:FPWUWQVZUNFZQM-UHFFFAOYSA-N;

Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), sold under the brand name Nitropress among others, is a medication used to lower blood pressure. This may be done if the blood pressure is very high and resulting in symptoms, in certain types of heart failure, and during surgery to decrease bleeding. It is used by continuous injection into a vein. Onset is nearly immediate and effects last for up to ten minutes.

Common side effects include low blood pressure and cyanide toxicity. Other serious side effects include methemoglobinemia. It is not generally recommended during pregnancy due to concerns of side effects. High doses are not recommended for more than ten minutes. It works by increasing nitric oxide levels in the blood, which increases cGMP levels in cells, and causes dilation of blood vessels.

Sodium nitroprusside was discovered as early as 1850 and found to be useful in medicine in 1928. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Sodium nitroprusside is light sensitive, so it needs to be shielded from light to prevent degradation. It is available as a generic medication.