Mosby's 2014 Nursing Drug Reference (255 page)

Canada only   Side effects:
italics
= common;
bold
= life-threatening   
Nurse Alert

medrysone ophthalmic

 

megestrol (Rx)

(me-jess′trole)

Megace, Megace ES

Func. class.:
Antineoplastic hormone

Chem. class.:
Progestin

Do not confuse:
Megace
/Reglan

ACTION:

Affects endometrium with antiluteinizing effect; thought to bring about cell death

USES:

Breast, endometrial cancer; cachexia, anorexia, weight loss with AIDS

Unlabeled uses:
Hot flashes in women (menopause) or men (prostate cancer), unexplained weight loss in geriatric patients, endometriosis, renal cell cancer (palliative), endometrial cancer, breast cancer (metastatic)

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Pregnancy (D) tabs, (X) susp; hypersensitivity

Precautions:
Diabetes, thrombosis, adrenal insufficiency

DOSAGE AND ROUTES
Calculator
Endometrial/ovarian carcinoma

• Adult:
PO
40-320 mg/day in divided doses

Breast carcinoma

• Adult:
PO
40 mg qid or 160 mg/day

Cachexia (AIDS)

• Adult:
PO
800 mg/day (oral susp) or 625 mg/day (ES)

Hot flashes (unlabeled)

• Adult:
PO
20 mg bid

Metastatic endometrial cancer

• Adult:
PO
40-320 mg/day in divided doses × ≥2 mo

Available forms:
Tabs 20, 40 mg; oral susp 40, 125 mg/ml

Administer:

• 
Oral susp for AIDS patients; shake well

• 
Tablets for carcinoma

• 
Without regard to food

SIDE EFFECTS

CNS:
Mood swings, insomnia, fever, lethargy, depression

CV:
Thrombophlebitis, thromboembolism,
hypertension

ENDO:
Adrenal insufficiency

GI:
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, weight gain, flatus, indigestion

GU:
Gynecomastia, fluid retention, hypercalcemia, vaginal bleeding, discharge, impotence, decreased libido, menstruation disorders

INTEG:
Alopecia, rash, pruritus, purpura, itching, sweating

META:
Hyperglycemia

MISC:
Tumor flare

RESP:
Dyspnea

PHARMACOKINETICS

PO:
Half-life 13-105 hr; metabolized in liver; excreted in feces, urine, breast milk; food increases bioavailability of oral sol

INTERACTIONS

• 
Do not use with dofetilide

Decrease:
megestrol effect—antidiabetics

Drug/Lab Test

Increase:
glucose

NURSING CONSIDERATIONS
Assess:

• 
PSA levels in men (prostate cancer); blood glucose, LFTs, serum calcium, weight

• 
Effects of alopecia on body image; feelings about body changes

• 
Frequency of stools, characteristics: cramping, acidosis, signs of dehydration (rapid respirations, poor skin turgor, decreased urine output, dry skin, restlessness, weakness)

• 
Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, weakness, loss of muscle tone

 
Thrombophlebitis:
Homans’ sign, edema; pain in calf, thigh; notify prescriber immediately

Perform/provide:

• 
Storage in tight container at room temp

Evaluate:

• 
Therapeutic response: decreased tumor size, spread of malignancy; weight gain in AIDS patients; resolved dysfunctional uterine bleeding

Teach patient/family:

• 
To report vaginal bleeding

• 
That nonhormonal contraception should be used during and for 4 mo after treatment; pregnancy (D) tabs, (X) susp

• 
That gynecomastia, alopecia can occur; reversible after discontinuing treatment

 
To recognize signs of fluid retention, thromboemboli; to report these immediately

• 
To monitor blood glucose if diabetic

Canada only   Side effects:
italics
= common;
bold
= life-threatening   
Nurse Alert

HIGH ALERT
melphalan (Rx)

(mel′fa-lan)

Alkeran

Func. class.:
Antineoplastic, alkylating agent

Chem. class.:
Nitrogen mustard

Do not confuse:
melphalan
/Myleran

ACTION:

Responsible for cross-linking DNA strands, thereby leading to cell death; activity is not cell-cycle–phase specific

USES:

Multiple myeloma, malignant melanoma, advanced ovarian cancer

Unlabeled uses:
Breast, testicular, prostate carcinoma; osteogenic sarcoma, amyloidosis, chronic myelogenous leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma, stem cell transplant, bone marrow ablation, AML, myelodysplastic syndrome

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Pregnancy (D), breastfeeding, other nitrogen mustards

 

Black Box Warning:

Hypersensitivity to this product

Precautions:
Children, radiation therapy, infections, renal disease

 

Black Box Warning:

Bone marrow depression, secondary malignancy, radiation therapy; requires an experienced clinician

DOSAGE AND ROUTES
Calculator
Multiple myeloma

• Adult:
PO
6 mg daily × 2-3 wk, adjust dose based on blood counts or 10 mg daily × 7-10 day

• Adult:
IV INF
16 mg/m
2
, reduce with renal insufficiency, give over 15-20 min, give at 2-wk intervals × 4 doses then at 4-wk intervals

Ovarian carcinoma

• Adult:
PO
200 mcg/kg/day × 5 days q4-5wk

Testicular cancer/breast cancer/non-hodgkin’s lymphoma/osteogenic sarcoma (unlabeled)

• Adult:
PO
150 mcg/kg/day × 7 days q4wk; when leukocytes normal, give 50 mcg/kg/day maintenance

Pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (unlabeled)

• Child:
IV
10-35 mg/m
2
q21-28days

Available forms:
Tabs 2 mg, powder for inj 50 mg

Administer:

• 
Antiemetic 30-60 min before product to prevent vomiting

PO route

• 
Give on empty stomach

• 
Protect from light, store refrigerated

Intermittent IV INF route

• 
Use gloves during administration; if skin exposure occurs, wash immediately with soap and water, use cytotoxic handling procedures

• 
Give after reconstituting with 10 ml diluent provided (5 mg/ml); shake, dilute dose with 0.9% NaCl (≤0.45 mg/ml), give within 1 hr, run over ≥15 min; degrading of product occurs rapidly, make sure infusion is completed in time specified

Y-site compatibilities:
Acyclovir, amikacin, aminophylline, ampicillin, aztreonam, bleomycin, bumetanide, buprenorphine, butorphanol, calcium gluconate, CARBOplatin, carmustine, ceFAZolin, cefepime, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefoTEtan, cefTAZidime, ceftizoxime, cefTRIAXone, cefuroxime, cimetidine, CISplatin, clindamycin, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, dacarbazine, DACTINomycin, DAUNOrubicin, dexamethasone, diphenhy-drAMINE, DOXOrubicin, doxycycline, droperidol, enalaprilat, etoposide, famotidine, floxuridine, fluconazole, flu-darabine, fluorouracil, furosemide, gallium, ganciclovir, gentamicin, grani-setron, haloperidol, heparin, hydrocortisone, hydrocortisone sodium phosphate, HYDROmorphone, hydrOXYzine, IDArubicin, ifosfamide, imipenem-cilastatin, LORazepam, mannitol, mechlorethamine, meperidine, mesna, methotrexate, methylPREDNISolone, metoclopramide, metroNIDAZOLE, miconazole, minocycline, mitoMYcin, mitoXANtrone, morphine, nalbuphine, netilmicin, ondansetron, pentostatin, piperacillin, plicamycin, potassium chloride, prochlorperazine, promethazine, ranitidine, sodium bicarbonate, streptozocin, teniposide, thiotepa, ticarcillin, ticarcillin/clavulanate, tobramycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin, vinBLAStine, vinCRIStine, vinorelbine, zidovudine

SIDE EFFECTS

GI:
Nausea, vomiting
, stomatitis, diarrhea,
hepatitis

GU:
Amenorrhea, hyperuricemia, gonadal suppression, hyperuricemia

HEMA:
Thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia,
anemia

INTEG:
Rash, urticaria, alopecia, pruritus

RESP:
Fibrosis, dysplasia,
dyspnea, pneumonitis

SYST:
Anaphylaxis,
allergic reactions,
secondary malignancies,
edema

PHARMACOKINETICS

Metabolized in liver, excreted in urine, half-life 1½ hr, protein binding 80%-90%

INTERACTIONS

• 
Avoid administration of sargramostim, GM-CSF, filgrastim, G-CSF 14 hr before or 24 hr after product

Increase:
toxicity—antineoplastics, radiation

Increase:
pulmonary toxicity—carmustine

Increase:
renal failure risk—cycloSPORINE

Increase:
enterocolitis risk—nalidixic acid

Increase:
bleeding risk—NSAIDs, anticoagulants, salicylates, thrombolytics, platelet inhibitors

Decrease:
antibody response—live virus vaccines

NURSING CONSIDERATIONS
Assess:

 

Black Box Warning:

Bone marrow depression:
CBC, differential, platelet count weekly; withhold product if WBC is <3000/mm
3
or platelet count is <100,000/mm
3
; notify prescriber; recovery usually occurs in 6 wk

• 
Renal studies: BUN, serum uric acid before, during therapy

• 
I&O ratio; report fall in urine output to 30 ml/hr

• 
Infection:
fever, cough, temp, chills, sore throat; notify prescriber

• 
Hepatic studies before, during therapy (bilirubin, AST, ALT, LDH) as needed; jaundiced skin and sclera, dark urine, clay-colored stools, itchy skin, abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea

• 
Bleeding:
hematuria, guaiac, bruising or petechiae, mucosa or orifices q8hr

• 
Buccal cavity q8hr for dryness, sores, ulceration, white patches, oral pain, bleeding, dysphagia

• 
Local irritation, pain, burning, discoloration at inj site

• 
Hyperuricemia:
joint pain, edema, increased uric acid, increase fluids to >2 L unless contraindicated

 
Severe allergic reaction:
rash, pruritus, urticaria, purpuric skin lesions, itching, flushing; assess allergy to chlorambucil; cross-sensitivity may occur

Perform/provide:

• 
Increase fluid intake to 2-3 L/day to prevent urate deposits, calculi formation

• 
Rinsing of mouth tid-qid with water, club soda; brushing of teeth bid-tid with soft brush or cotton-tipped applicators for stomatitis; use unwaxed dental floss

Evaluate:

• 
Therapeutic response: decreased tumor size, spread of malignancy

Teach patient/family:

• 
That usually sterility, amenorrhea occur; reversible after discontinuing treatment

• 
To avoid foods with citric acid, hot or rough texture

• 
To report any bleeding, white spots, or ulcerations in mouth to prescriber; to examine mouth daily

• 
To report signs of infection: fever, sore throat, flulike symptoms

• 
To report suspected pregnancy; to use contraception during treatment; pregnancy (D)

• 
To report signs of anemia: fatigue, headache, faintness, SOB, irritability

• 
To avoid use of razors, commercial mouthwash

• 
To avoid use of aspirin products, NSAIDs, alcohol

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