Clinical data | |
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Trade names | BAL in Oil |
Other names | 2,3-Dimercaptopropanol British Anti-Lewisite 2,3-Dithiopropanol 2,3-Dimercaptopropan-1-ol British antilewisite |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
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Routes of administration | intramuscular |
ATC code | |
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Pharmacokinetic data | |
Excretion | Urine[1] |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.000.394 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C3H8OS2 |
Molar mass | 124.22 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
Density | 1.239 g/cm3 |
Boiling point | 393 °C (739 °F) at 2.0 kPa |
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Dimercaprol, also called British anti-Lewisite (BAL), is a medication used to treat acute poisoning by arsenic, mercury, gold, and lead.[3] It may also be used for antimony, thallium, or bismuth poisoning, although the evidence for those uses is not very strong.[3][4] It is given by injection into a muscle.[3]
Common side effects include high blood pressure, pain at the site of the injection, vomiting, and fever.[3] It is not recommended for people with peanut allergies as it is typically formulated as a suspension in peanut oil.[3] It is unclear if use in pregnancy is safe for the baby.[3] Dimercaprol is a chelator and works by binding with heavy metals.[3] It has a very pungent odor.
Dimercaprol was first made during World War II.[5] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[6]
The prefixes 'mercapto' (–SH), and 'hydroseleno' or selenyl (–SeH), etc. are no longer recommended.