Epinephrine Research Paper

Epinephrine is a multipurpose drug. It is a hormone, neurotransmitter, and a medication. Its chemical formula is C9H13NO3. Epinephrine is used in emergency situations to treat anaphylactic shock, cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, and many others. It is one of the most powerful medicines in the class of vasopressors. It works by relaxing muscles in the airway and tightening blood vessels. Epinephrine can be used on adults, children, and elderly, however it is unknown if it can be used on those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
This super drug can save lives. It can improve one’s life by alleviating life threatening conditions, until more experienced health providers can take over. Epinephrine is a white or off white microcrystalline powder that
The percent composition for each element in epinephrine is as follows: 58.991%C, 7.166%H, 7.646%N, 26.196%O. The common dosage for an intravenous injection of epinephrine in a pediatric patient during cardiac arrest is 0.1mg/kg, repeating as needed every 3-5 minutes. However, the maximum dosage is 1mg. The dosage for an auto- injection during anaphylactic shock for a pediatric patient is 15-30kg, repeating as necessary. For an Adult in anaphylactic shock the common dosage for an auto-injection is 30kg or greater, repeating as needed. For an adult in Cardiac Arrest Intravenous dosage is 1.0mg, repeating as needed every 3-5 minutes. For a 0.3mg dose, the amount in moles would be , while the amount in grams is , and the amount in atoms is . Similar compounds include Dopamine, Cortisol, and Norepinephrine. Dopamine has a molecular formula of C8H11NO2. It is a solid that has a melting point of 128 °C. Like Epinephrine, dopamine is also a hormone. Cortisol has a molecular formula of C21H30O5. It is a crystalline white powder with a flashing point of 310.4 °C. Norepinephrine has a chemical formula of C8H11NO3. It is a solid colorless microcrystal that is slightly soluble in
Anaphylactic shock is caused when the heart is unable to pump enough blood throughout the body. Injecting epinephrine into the blood stream will cause increased blood flow. In small doses, epinephrine widens the bronchial tubes, allowing air to pass through them during an asthma attack. Epinephrine can be created naturally, and synthetically. Through biosynthesis, epinephrine is formed from tyrosine. It starts when the enzymee tyrosine hydroxylase, hydroxylates tyrosine to L-DOPA. Then, L-DOPA undergoes decarboxylation. The new enzyme formed is called dopamine. Dopamine is then hydroxylated, and turns into norepinephrine. Lastly, norepinephrine is methylated to form epinephrine. Through the process of chemical synthesis epinephrine can be produced by the reaction of catechol and chloroacetyl chloride. This then reacts with methylamine. This is reduced to a hydroxylic compound. The result of this is epinephrine. Using tartaric acid, epinephrine can be separated.
I chose to research epinephrine because of the difference that it can make in one’s health. Its ability to contrast blood vessels and thus increase blood pressure can bring people back to life. Epinephrine is a multipurpose medicine used to treat anaphylactic shock, cardiac arrest, asthma attacks, and it is used in many other life threatening situations. Without Epinephrine, found in Epipens,