Mosby's 2014 Nursing Drug Reference (45 page)

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Hypersensitivity, breastfeeding, history of serious pancreatitis, bleeding, or serious thrombosis with prior L-asparaginase therapy

Precautions:

Pregnancy (C), children <2 yr, hepatic disease, diabetes mellitus

DOSAGE AND ROUTES
Calculator

• Adult, adolescent, child ≥2 yr (substitute for pegaspargase): IM
25,000 IU/m
2
3 ×/wk (Monday/Wednesday/Friday) × 6 doses for each planned dose of pegaspargase within a treatment

• Adult (substitute for L-asparaginase
E. coli
): IM
25,000 IU/m
2
for each scheduled dose of native
E. coli
asparaginase within a treatment

Available forms:

Powder for inj 10,000 Units

Administer:

• 
Slowly inject 1 or 2 ml of preservative-free sterile sodium chloride (0.9%) inj against inner vial wall; do not forcefully inject sol directly onto or into powder; if 1 ml of NS is used, conc is 10,000 IU/ml; if 2 ml of NS is used, conc is 5000 IU/ ml; dissolve contents by gentle mixing or swirling; do not shake or invert vial

• 
Reconstituted sol should be clear and colorless; discard if any visible particles or protein aggregates are present

• 
Calculate the volume needed to obtain dose; withdraw volume containing calculated dose from vial into polypropylene syringe within 15 min of reconstitution

IM route

Administer dose by IM inj within 4 hr of reconstitution; limit volume to 2 ml per inj site; multiple inj sites may be needed

SIDE EFFECTS

ENDO:
Hyperglycemia

GI:
Pancreatitis

HEMA:
Bleeding,
serious thrombosis

INTEG:
Local inj site reaction

MISC:
Hyperammonemia
(seizure, headache),
neurotoxicity,
elevated hepatic enzymes, hyperbilirubinemia

SYST:
Anaphylaxis

PHARMACOKINETICS

Achieved serum trough asparaginase activity concentrations ≥0.1 IU/ml by 72 hr after dose 3

INTERACTIONS

Synergistic or antagonistic action of:
methotrexate

Increase:
neurotoxicity—vinCRIStine

Increase:
pancreatitis risk—cytarabine

Increase:
hyperglycemia—corticosteroids

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

Drug/Lab Test

Increase:
liver function tests, ammonia

Decrease:
fibrinogen, protein C activity, protein S activity, anti-thrombin III

NURSING CONSIDERATIONS
Assess:


 
Anaphylaxis:
give only with resuscitation equipment and other agents necessary to treat anaphylaxis; if a serious hypersensitivity reaction occurs, discontinue product


 
Bleeding:
identify if NSAIDs, salicylates, thrombolytics, platelet inhibitors, anticoagulants have been used; grade 1 or 2 bleeding or coagulation abnormalities may occur (serious thrombosis, sagittal sinus thrombosis); discontinue for a thrombotic or hemorrhagic event until symptoms resolve; after resolution, treatment may be resumed; coagulation proteins were decreased in most patients after a 2-wk course: fibrinogen, protein C activity, protein S activity, antithrombin III

 
Pancreatitis:
discontinue for severe or hemorrhagic pancreatitis (abdominal pain >72 hr and amylase elevation ≥2 × upper limit of normal); mild pancreatitis, hold until the signs, symptoms subside and amylase concentrations return to normal, then resume

• 
Hyperglycemia:
glucose intolerance that is irreversible in some cases; monitor baseline and periodic glucose concentration; administer insulin therapy as needed

 
Hyperammonemia/neurotoxicity:
seizures, headache; asparagine rescue may be used to treat acute CNS toxicity; doses of asparagine used were 1-2 mmol/kg/day continuous IV inf × 5 days

Monitor liver function tests and for hyperbilirubinemia

Local injection site reaction: no more than 2 ml of the reconstituted product is to be administered at a single injection site

Perform/provide:

• 
Do not freeze or refrigerate the reconstituted solution; discard any unused portions

Evaluate:

• 
Decreased spread of malignancy

Teach patient/family:

 
To get immediate medical advice if they experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; pancreatitis may occur

 
To get immediate medical advice if experiencing anaphylactic reactions

• 
To contact provider if patient experiences excessive thirst or any increase in volume or frequency of urination; hyperglycemia may occur

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

aspirin (
OTC
)

(as′pir-in)

APC-ASA Coated Aspirin
, A.S.A., Ascriptin Enteric, Aspergum, Aspirin
, Aspir-Low, Aspir-trin
, Bayer Aspirin, Bayer Children’s Aspirin, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Equaline, Good Sense Aspirin, Halfprin, PMS-ASA
, St. Joseph Children’s, St. Joseph’s Adult, Walgreens Aspirin Adult

Func. class.:
Nonopioid analgesic, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory, antipyretic, antiplatelet

Chem. class.:
Salicylate

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