Role of dexamethasone dosage in combination with 5-HT3 antagonists for prophylaxis of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. (1/720)

Dexamethasone (20 mg) or its equivalent in combination with 5-HT3 antagonists appears to be the gold-standard dose for antiemetic prophylaxis. Additional to concerns about the use of corticosteroids with respect to enhanced tumour growth or impaired killing of the tumour cells, there is evidence that high-dosage dexamethasone impairs the control of delayed nausea and emesis, whereas lower doses appear more beneficial. To come closer to the most adequate dose, we started a prospective, single-blind, randomized trial investigating additional dosage of 8 or 20 mg dexamethasone to tropisetron (Navoban), a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in cis-platinum-containing chemotherapy. After an interim analysis of 121 courses of chemotherapy in 69 patients, we have been unable to detect major differences between both treatment alternatives. High-dose dexamethasone (20 mg) had no advantage over medium-dose dexamethasone with respect to objective and subjective parameters of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting. In relation to concerns about the use of corticosteroids in non-haematological cancer chemotherapy, we suggest that 8 mg or its equivalent should be used in combination with 5-HT3 antagonists until further research proves otherwise.  (+info)

Antiemetic efficacy of granisetron plus dexamethasone in bone marrow transplant patients receiving chemotherapy and total body irradiation. (2/720)

Few trials exist regarding the antiemetic efficacy of granisetron in bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipients conditioned with high-dose chemotherapy and total body irradiation (TBI). In this single-center, open-label, prospective, trial, the antiemetic efficacy and safety of granisetron plus dexamethasone were evaluated in 26 patients conditioned with cyclophosphamide-containing regimens (the majority receiving 60 mg/kg per day on 2 consecutive days), and TBI (12 Gy divided over 4 days). Daily intravenous doses of granisetron 1 mg plus dexamethasone 10 mg were given 30 min prior to chemotherapy or radiation, and continued for 24 h after the last conditioning treatment for a median of 6 days (range 3-9). Emetic control was defined by the number of emetic episodes occurring within a 24 h period, or the requirement for rescue medication for nausea or vomiting. A total of 25 patients completed 186 evaluable treatment days. Response (emetic control by treatment days) was complete in 50% of patients, major in 48%, minor in 2%, and there were no failures. Adverse effects were minor, with diarrhea (15%), headache (14%), and constipation (11%) reported most often. Based on these results, the antiemetic regimen of granisetron plus dexamethasone appears effective and well tolerated during BMT conditioning with high-dose cyclophosphamide and TBI.  (+info)

Antiemetic efficacy of granisetron: a randomized crossover study in patients receiving cisplatin-containing intraarterial chemotherapy. (3/720)

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the most active chemotherapeutic agents but is among the most emetogenic drugs. The emetic side-effects of CDDP-containing intraarterial chemotherapy have not been evaluated in a prospective randomized trial and the efficacy of serotonin antagonists in preventing the emesis associated with this method of CDDP administration has not been assessed. METHODS: CDDP 50 mg/m2 and methotrexate 30 mg/m2 were administered every 3 weeks through intraarterial catheters placed in the bilateral internal iliac arteries. Patients were classified into two groups: granisetron treatment group (group G) and no treatment group (group NG) with the first course of chemotherapy, crossing over with the second course. The patients in group G received granisetron 40 micrograms/kg by intravenous infusion. RESULTS: Although intraarterial CDDP administration produced less emesis than intravenous CDDP administration, at the same concentration, gastrointestinal toxicity is still the most unpleasant side-effect for patients. Granisetron administration significantly reduced nausea and vomiting during the acute emetic phase (an evaluation of treatment as very effective and effective was made in 89% in group G and 33% in group NG (P < 0.001). Complete control of emesis was achieved in 68 and 18% of patients in groups G and NG, respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A single prophylactic infusion of granisetron was effective in preventing the nausea and vomiting associated with intraarterial CDDP-containing therapy.  (+info)

Tropisetron (Navoban) in the control of nausea and vomiting induced by combined cancer chemotherapy in children. (4/720)

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the potency and efficacy of tropisetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in the prevention of nausea and emesis observed in the pediatric patient population taking various chemotherapy protocols. METHODS: Tropisetron (Navoban) was given to 100 children (62 boys and 38 girls aged 6 months to 15 years) with various malignancies. Patients received tropisetron during one or more courses of emetogenic chemotherapy for a total of 350 courses administered intravenously or intravenously and intrathecally. Tropisetron (0.2 mg/kg/day, maximum: 5 mg/day) was administered as a single intravenous dose slowly, before the start of chemotherapy on day 1 and intravenously or by mouth on subsequent days (median treatment duration: 5 days). RESULTS: The patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy had a 70% complete response rate and a 24% partial response rate during the first 24 h period of the first course. We observed headache (five courses), diarrhea (three courses) and loss of appetite (one course) as side-effects (2.5%). CONCLUSION: Tropisetron is safe, effective, easy to use, has no serious side-effects and can be recommended for pediatric patients. The efficacy of tropisetron may be enhanced by the addition of corticosteroids in patients receiving highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy.  (+info)

Postoperative analgesia and vomiting, with special reference to day-case surgery: a systematic review. (5/720)

BACKGROUND: Day-case surgery is of great value to patients and the health service. It enables many more patients to be treated properly, and faster than before. Newer, less invasive, operative techniques will allow many more procedures to be carried out. There are many elements to successful day-case surgery. Two key components are the effectiveness of the control of pain after the operation, and the effectiveness of measures to minimise postoperative nausea and vomiting. OBJECTIVES: To enable those caring for patients undergoing day-case surgery to make the best choices for their patients and the health service, this review sought the highest quality evidence on: (1) the effectiveness of the control of pain after an operation; (2) the effectiveness of measures to minimise postoperative nausea and vomiting. METHODS: Full details of the search strategy are presented in the report. RESULTS - ANALGESIA: The systematic reviews of the literature explored whether different interventions work and, if they do work, how well they work. A number of conclusions can be drawn. RESULTS-ANALGESIA, INEFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS: There is good evidence that some interventions are ineffective. They include: (1) transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in acute postoperative pain; (2) the use of local injections of opioids at sites other than the knee joint; (3) the use of dihydrocodeine, 30 mg, in acute postoperative pain (it is no better than placebo). RESULTS-ANALGESIA, INTERVENTIONS OF DOUBTFUL VALUE: Some interventions may be effective but the size of the effect or the complication of undertaking them confers no measurable benefit over conventional methods. Such interventions include: (1) injecting morphine into the knee joint after surgery: there is a small analgesic benefit which may last for up to 24 hours but there is no clear evidence that the size of the benefit is of any clinical value; (2) manoeuvres to try and anticipate pain by using pre-emptive analgesia; these are no more effective than standard methods; (3) administering non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by injection or per rectum in patients who can swallow; this appears to be no more effective than giving NSAIDs by mouth and, indeed, may do more harm than good; (4) administering codeine in single doses; this has poor analgesic efficacy. RESULTS-ANALGESIA, INTERVENTIONS OF PROVEN VALUE: These include a number of oral analgesics including (at standard doses): (1) dextropropoxyphene; (2) tramadol; (3) paracetamol; (4) ibuprofen; (5) diclofenac. Diclofenac and ibuprofen at standard doses give analgesia equivalent to that obtained with 10 mg of intramuscular morphine. Each will provide at least 50% pain relief from a single oral dose in patients with moderate or severe postoperative pain. Paracetamol and codeine combinations also appear to be highly effective, although there is little information on the standard doses used in the UK. The relative effectiveness of these analgesics is compared in an effectiveness 'ladder' which can inform prescribers making choices for individual patients, or planning day-case surgery. Dose-response relationships show that higher doses of ibuprofen may be particularly effective. Topical NSAIDs (applied to the skin) are effective in minor injuries and chronic pain but there is no obvious role for them in day-case surgery. RESULTS-POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING: The proportion of patients who may feel nauseated or vomit after surgery is very variable, despite similar operations and anaesthetic techniques. Systematic review can still lead to clear estimations of effectiveness of interventions. Whichever anti-emetic is used, the choice is often between prophylactic use (trying to prevent anyone vomiting) and treating those people who do feel nauseated or who may vomit. Systematic reviews of a number of different anti-emetics show clearly that none of the anti-emetics is sufficiently effective to be used for prophylaxis. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATE  (+info)

Prophylactic antiemetic therapy with a combination of granisetron and dexamethasone in patients undergoing middle ear surgery. (6/720)

We have compared the efficacy of granisetron in combination with dexamethasone with each drug alone in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after middle ear surgery. In a randomized, double-blind study, 120 patients (85 females) received granisetron 3 mg, dexamethasone 8 mg or granisetron 3 mg with dexamethasone 8 mg i.v. (n = 40 in each group), immediately before induction of anaesthesia. A standardized general anaesthetic technique was used. A complete response, defined as no PONV and no need for another rescue antiemetic during the first 3 h after anaesthesia, was recorded in 83%, 50% and 98% of patients who had received granisetron, dexamethasone and granisetron-dexamethasone, respectively. The corresponding incidences during the next 21 h after anaesthesia were 80%, 55% and 98% (P < 0.05; overall Fisher's exact probability test). In summary, prophylactic use of combined granisetron and dexamethasone was more effective than each antiemetic alone for the prevention of PONV after middle ear surgery.  (+info)

Nausea during pregnancy and congenital heart defects: a population-based case-control study. (7/720)

The authors investigated the possible association between a mother's nausea during pregnancy and her child's risk for a congenital heart defect using data from the population-based Atlanta Birth Defects Case-Control Study conducted in 1982-1983. Case infants (n = 998) had nonsyndromic congenital heart defects and control infants (n = 3,029) had no congenital defects. Nausea during pregnancy (NP) was graded in eight levels of "severity" based on its onset, frequency, and duration. Level 1, the most severe NP, was associated with a lower risk for a congenital heart defect in the child (odds ratio (OR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-0.99) compared with no nausea. The lower risk tended to disappear with less severe levels of nausea, and the trend was statistically significant. Overall, early NP (levels 1 to 4 combined) with use of antinausea medication, particularly Bendectin (doxylamine, dicyclomine (dropped from the formulation in 1976), pyridoxine (vitamin B6)), was associated with a lower risk for congenital heart defects compared with: 1) absence of nausea (OR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.92), and 2) nausea without medication use (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.94). The results suggest that pregnancy hormones and factors or, alternatively, a component of Bendectin (most probably pyridoxine) may be important for normal heart development. These findings outline potential areas for future research on and prevention of congenital heart defects.  (+info)

Granisetron (Kytril) suppresses methotrexate-induced nausea and vomiting among patients with inflammatory arthritis and is superior to prochlorperazine (Stemetil). (8/720)

OBJECTIVE: Methotrexate (MTX) is an increasingly popular anti-rheumatic drug with its usefulness limited by toxicity, most commonly gastrointestinal (GI). The aim of the study was to study the effectiveness of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist granisetron (GR) in the therapy of MTX-induced nausea. METHODS: A single-blind 8 week pilot study with random allocation to either GR 1 mg or prochlorperazine (Stemetil; PCh) 10 mg was undertaken in 13 patients who were taking or had taken MTX for either rheumatoid arthritis (10) or psoriatic arthritis (3). RESULTS: One in six patients treated with PCh completed the 8 week study compared to 7/7 treated with GR. After switching of symptomatic patients, 11 completed the study on GR and median improvement was by two grades (P < 0.001) with a significantly better visual analogue scale score for patient satisfaction compared to PCh. CONCLUSION: Treatment with GR may be useful in establishing and maintaining some patients on MTX where GI toxicity would have precluded such therapy.  (+info)

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10