MedicinePOMEssential

Sodium Nitroprusside

An intravenous medicine for rapidly lowering dangerously high blood pressure.

Clinical information

Common uses

hypertensive crises
controlled low blood pressure during surgery
acute heart failure

Common side effects

excessive drop in blood pressure
cyanide build-up at higher infusion rates
thiocyanate build-up with prolonged use
methaemoglobinaemia (rare)

Cautions

cyanide toxicity can be rapid, serious and lethal
not for compensatory hypertension
avoid in Leber's optic atrophy or tobacco amblyopia
not for high-output heart failure, e.g. sepsis

Reference information, not medical advice — always follow your doctor or pharmacist. Source: DailyMed, dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, sodium nitroprusside injection label, setid 5a599880-c133-44ef-a9f2-bd1b681563be (accessed 2026-08-16)

Approved brands & formulations2

Brand name	Dosage form	Strength	Importer	Category
Sodium Nitroprusside	Parenteral ( Injection )	50mg/5ml	—	POM
Sonide	Parenteral ( Injection )	50mg/5ml	authorized medicine importers	POM