Prescription medicine
Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride Brand names: Plegisol, Cardioplegic
Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride (Cardioplegic) is a prescription medicine with an FDA approval on record since 1982. FDA's NDC Directory lists it from 2 generic labelers.
- Generic listed
- A presentation discontinued
Check it at the source: the calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 27, 2026, Hospira, Inc.); the NDA 18608 record on Drugs@FDA; every calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride label on DailyMed.
Highlights of the record
FDA label of May 27, 2026; NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA and Orange Book, October 8, 2026
Used for
From the label: indications and usagePlegisol (Cardioplegic Solution) when suitably buffered in combination with ischemia and hypothermia is used to induce cardiac arrest during open heart surgery.
Forms and strengths
- 17.6 mg/100ml / 325.3 mg/100ml / 119.3 mg/100ml / 643 mg/100ml
- 119.3 mg/100ml / 643 mg/100ml / 17.6 mg/100ml / 325.3 mg/100ml
Injection (solution); solution.
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- February 26, 1982 Plegisol In Plastic Container, Hospira; Drugs@FDA’s file, where older or withdrawn approvals can be missing
- Generic approvals
- 2 first April 21, 2000; 2 with a marketed status in Drugs@FDA
- Labelers listed (NDC)
- 3 of which 2 under generic applications, 1 under brand applications, repackagers included
Supply and safety
- Pharmacy cost (NADAC)
- Not in the survey
- Shortage (FDA)
- None current 1 past records
- Recalls by its makers (FDA)
- No recall recorded
- FAERS reports
- 34 through July 30, 2026
What is calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride used for?
From the label: indications and usagePlegisol (Cardioplegic Solution) when suitably buffered in combination with ischemia and hypothermia is used to induce cardiac arrest during open heart surgery.
FDA pharmacologic class: Blood Coagulation Factor, Calculi Dissolution Agent, Osmotic Laxative, Phosphate Binder and Potassium Salt.
Source: FDA drug label (Plegisol), Hospira, Inc., effective May 27, 2026 (SPL set 35a174f0-f0d7-4ec7-3f81-d3d572c059cf), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
Is there a generic for calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride (Cardioplegic)?
The FDA approved the first generic calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride on April 21, 2000. 2 generic applications are approved; 2 of them carry a current (not discontinued) marketing status in Drugs@FDA; that status is not evidence that the generic is on sale.
FDA's NDC Directory lists calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride from 2 labelers under a generic (ANDA) application and from 1 brand labeler. A listing means the company has registered the product for sale; it does not show that every pharmacy stocks it.
- 1982 earliest approval on file
- 2000 first generic approved
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory and the Orange Book (openFDA bulk files, October 8, 2026)
Is calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride in shortage?
No calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride presentation is listed as in shortage in the FDA Drug Shortage Database (read October 8, 2026); its 1 record is all marked to be discontinued, the latest updated August 31, 2026. ASHP keeps a separate shortage list, which can differ.
| Presentation | Company | Status | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardioplegic Solution, Injection, Solution, 17.6 mg/100 mL; 325.3 mg/100 mL; 119.3 mg/100 mL; 643 mg/100 mL (NDC 65219-258-10) | Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC | To Be Discontinued | August 31, 2026 |
Source: FDA Drug Shortage Database via openFDA, updated October 8, 2026
What does the calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride label say about other medicines?
The calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride label names 1 other medicine in its interaction, contraindication or warning sections. The sentences are the labels' own; a label lists what its studies and reports found, not every interaction.
| Medicine named | Section | What the label says |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium bicarbonate | contraindications | CONTRAINDICATIONS Plegisol must not be administered without the addition of 8.4% Sodium Bicarbonate Injection, USP, Hospira List 4900. |
Source: FDA drug label (Plegisol), Hospira, Inc., effective May 27, 2026 (SPL set 35a174f0-f0d7-4ec7-3f81-d3d572c059cf), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What do FAERS reports show for calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride?
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System holds 34 reports that list calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride among the medicines taken, through July 30, 2026, each a report of something that happened, not proof the medicine caused it; 9 are coded as a death and 8 as a hospital stay. Counts follow how widely a medicine is used and watched, and they are not a measure of how risky it is.
The most reported reactions
Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) via openFDA, reports through July 30, 2026
What next?
- Other blood coagulation factors
- the pharmacologic class, with prices and generics
- Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride side effects
- the label's list beside FAERS reports
- Calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and sodium chloride shortage record
- every presentation, company and date
- Check an interaction
- what two or more labels say about each other