Ethacridine lactate is an aromatic organic compound

Organic compound

An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...

 based on acridine

Acridine

Acridine, C13H9N, is an organic compound and a nitrogen heterocycle. Acridine is also used to describe compounds containing the C13N tricycle....

. Its formal name is 2-ethoxy-6,9-diaminoacridine monolactate monohydrate. It forms orange-yellow crystals with a melting point of 226 °C and it has a stinging smell.

Its primary use is as an antiseptic

Antiseptic

Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...

 in solutions of 0.1%.

Ethacridine is also used as an agent for second trimester abortion. Up to 150 ml of a 0.1% solution is instilled extra-amniotically using a foley catheter

Foley catheter

A Foley catheter is a flexible tube that is often passed through the urethra and into the bladder. The tube has two separated channels, or lumens, running down its length. One lumen is open at both ends, and allows urine to drain out into a collection bag...

. After 20 to 40 hours, 'mini labor' ensues. In China, an intra-amniotic method has also been used. Ethacridine as an abortifacient is found to be safer and better tolerated than 20% hypertonic saline.