Mosby's 2014 Nursing Drug Reference (53 page)

HIGH ALERT
azaCITIDine (Rx)

(a-za-sie-ti′deen)

Vidaza

Func. class.:
Antineoplastic-nucleoside analog

Chem. class.:
DNA demethylation agent

Do not confuse:
azaCITIDine
/azaTHIOprine

ACTION:

Cytotoxic by producing damage to double-strand DNA during DNA synthesis

USES:

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)

Unlabeled uses:
Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Pregnancy (D), hypersensitivity to product or mannitol, advanced malignant hepatic tumors

Precautions:
Breastfeeding, children, geriatric patients, renal/hepatic disease, baseline albumin <30 g/L; a man should not father a child while taking product

DOSAGE AND ROUTES
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• Adult: SUBCUT/IV
75 mg/m
2
/day × 7 days q4wk, dose may be increased to 100 mg/m
2
if no response seen after 2 treatment cycles; minimum treatment, 4 cycles

Available forms:
Powder for inj 100 mg

Administer:

• 
Use cytotoxic handling procedures

SUBCUT route

• 
Reconstitute
with 4 ml sterile water for inj (25 mg/ml), inject diluents slowly
into vial, invert vial 2-3 times, gently rotate; sol will be cloudy, use immediately; divide doses >4 ml into 2 syringes; invert contents 2-3 times, gently roll syringe between the palms for 30 sec immediately before administration, rotate inj site

Intermittent IV INF route

• 
Reconstitute
each vial with 10 ml sterile water for inj, shake well until all solids are dissolved, withdraw sol (10 mg/ml), inject in 50-100 NS or LR inf run over 10-40 min

SIDE EFFECTS

CNS:
Anxiety, depression, dizziness, fatigue, headache, fever, insomnia

CV:
Cardiac murmur, hypotension, tachycardia, peripheral edema,
chest pain

GI:
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting
, anorexia,
constipation
, abdominal pain, distention, tenderness, hemorrhoids, mouth hemorrhage, tongue ulceration, stomatitis, dyspepsia,
hepatotoxicity, hepatic coma

GU:
Renal failure, renal tubular acidosis,
dysuria, UTI

HEMA:
Leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, febrile neutropenia,
ecchymosis, petechiae

INTEG:
Irritation at site, rash
, sweating, pyrexia, pruritus

META:
Hypokalemia

MS:
Weakness, arthralgia, muscle cramps, myalgia, back pain

RESP:
Cough,
dyspnea, pharyngitis
,
pleural effusion

PHARMACOKINETICS

Rapidly absorbed, peak 1/2 hr, metabolized in the liver, half-life 4 hr, excreted in urine

INTERACTIONS

Increase:
bone marrow depression—other antineoplastics

NURSING CONSIDERATIONS
Assess:

• 
For CNS symptoms: fever, headache, chills, dizziness


 
Bone marrow suppression/hematologic response:
CBC with differential, baseline WBC ≥3000/mm
3
, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1500/mm
3
, platelets >7500/mm
3
, adjust dose based on nadir; ANC <500/mm
3
, platelets <25,000/mm
3
, give 50% dose next course; ANC 500-1500/mm
3
, platelets 25,000-50,000/mm
3
, give 67% next course; bruising, bleeding, blood in stools, urine, sputum, emesis; myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), splenomegaly

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


 
Myelodysplastic syndrome:
severe anemia, cytopenias, splenomegaly

• 
Blood studies: BUN, bicarbonate, creatine, LFTs

Perform/provide:

• 
Increased fluid intake to 2-3 L/day to prevent dehydration unless contraindicated

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

• 
Nutritious diet with iron, vitamin supplement, low fiber, few dairy products

Evaluate:

• 
Therapeutic response: improvement in blood counts with refractory anemia or refractory anemia with excess blasts

Teach patient/family:

• 
To avoid crowds, persons with known infections; not to receive immunizations

• 
To avoid foods with citric acid or hot or rough texture if stomatitis is present; to drink adequate fluids

• 
To report stomatitis; any bleeding, white spots, ulcerations in mouth; to examine mouth daily, report symptoms, infection site reactions, pruritus, fever


 
To use contraception during and for several months after therapy (pregnancy [D]); not to breastfeed; not to father a child while receiving product

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

azaTHIOprine (Rx)

(ay-za-thye′oh-preen)

Azasan, Imuran

Func. class.:
Immunosuppressant

Chem. class.:
Purine antagonist

Do not confuse:
Imuran
/Imferon/Elmiron/IMDUR/Enduron/Tenormin
azaTHIOprine
/azaCITIDine

ACTION:

Produces immunosuppression by inhibiting purine synthesis in cells

USES:

Renal transplants to prevent graft rejection, refractory rheumatoid arthritis

Unlabeled uses:
Myasthenia gravis, chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, Behçet’s disease, autoimmune hepatitis, dermatomyositis, thrombocytopenic purpura, lupus nephritis, polymyositis, pulmonary fibrosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Wegener’s granulomatosis, vasculitis, atopic dermatitis

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Pregnancy (D), hypersensitivity, breastfeeding

Precautions:
Severe renal/hepatic disease, geriatric patients, thiopurine methyltransferase deficiency, infection

 

Black Box Warning:

Bone marrow suppression, neoplastic disease, must be used by experienced clinician

DOSAGE AND ROUTES
Calculator
Prevention of rejection

• Adult and child: IV
3-5 mg/kg/day then maintenance
(PO)
of ≥ 1-3 mg/kg/day

Refractory rheumatoid arthritis

• Adult: PO
1 mg/kg/day, may increase dose after 2 mo by 0.5 mg/kg/day and then q4wk, max 2.5 mg/kg/day

Lupus nephritis/SLE/Wegener’s granulomatosis/idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (unlabeled)

• Adult: PO
2-3 mg/kg/day

Atopic dermatitis (unlabeled)

• Adult/adolescent ≥16 yr: PO
2.5 mg/kg/day

Available forms:
Tabs 50, 75, 100 mg; inj 100 mg

Administer:

• 
For several days before transplant surgery

• 
All medications PO if possible; avoid IM inj because bleeding may occur

PO route

• 
With meals to reduce GI upset

IV route

• 
Prepare in biologic cabinet with gown, gloves, mask

Direct IV

• 
Dilute
to 10 mg/ml with 0.9% NaCl, 0.45% NaCl, D
5
W,
give
over 5 min

Intermittent IV INF route

• 
Reconstitute
100 mg/10 ml of sterile water for inj; rotate to dissolve;
further dilute
with 50 ml or more saline or glucose in saline,
give
over 1/2-1 hr

Y-site compatibilities:
Alfentanil, atracurium, atropine, benztropine, calcium gluconate, cycloSPORINE, enalaprilat, epoetin alfa, erythromycin, fentaNYL, fluconazole, folic acid, furosemide, glycopyrrolate, heparin, insulin, mannitol, mechlorethamine, metoprolol, naloxone, nitroglycerin, oxytocin, penicillin G, potassium chloride, propranolol, protamine, SUFentanil, trimetaphan, vasopressin

Solution compatibilities:
D
5
W, NaCl 0.9%, NaCl 0.45%

SIDE EFFECTS

GI:
Nausea, vomiting
, stomatitis, esophagitis,
pancreatitis, hepatotoxicity, jaundice, hepatic veno-occlusive disease

HEMA:
Leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, pancytopenia, bleeding

INTEG:
Rash, alopecia

MISC:
Serum sickness,
Raynaud’s symptoms,
secondary malignancy, infection

MS:
Arthralgia, muscle wasting

PHARMACOKINETICS

Metabolized in liver, excreted in urine (active metabolite), crosses placenta, half-life 3 hr

INTERACTIONS

Increase:
leukopenia—ACE inhibitors, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim

Increase:
myelosuppression—cycloSPORINE, mercaptopurine

Increase:
action of azaTHIOprine—allopurinol

Decrease:
immune response—vaccines, toxoids

Decrease:
action of warfarin—warfarin

• 
Do not admix with other products

Drug/Lab Test

Increase:
LFTs

Decrease:
uric acid

Interference:
CBC, differential count

NURSING CONSIDERATIONS
Assess:


 
For infection:
increased temp, WBC; sputum, urine

• 
I&O, weight daily, report decreasing urine output; toxicity may occur

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