This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 1078155208100527v1 1078155208100527v2 15/3/183    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Al Zahrani, A. Articles by Al Eid, A. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Al Zahrani, A. Articles by Al Eid, A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Rapid Infusion Rituximab Changing Practice for Patient Care

Oncology Department, Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, nag_ibrahim{at}hotmail.com

Nagwa Ibrahim, Pharm D

Pharmacy Department, Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Ahmed Al Eid, PhD

Pharmacy Department, Armed Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Rituximab is a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. Its intravenous administration is associated with substantial infusion related-toxicity. Recommended infusion durations are prolonged (average 5—6 h for first infusion and 3—4 h for subsequent infusions). We aimed to explore the safety and tolerability of short infusion rituximab, (over 90 min), in Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients at Riyadh Military Hospital. Adult oncology patients diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, who were to receive rituximab, were included in the study. The schedule of administration for cycle one was unaltered and delivered according to the product monograph (5—6 h). All subsequent cycles were administered over a total infusion time of 90 min (20% of the dose in the first 30 min then the remaining 80% over 60 min, total dose delivered in 500 mL sodium chloride). All patients were observed for infusion related reactions during the rituximab infusion and for 30 min after the infusion. In addition, all patients were advised to report any reaction occurring within 24 h after rituximab infusion.

From April 2007 to September 2007, 21 patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma were treated with rituximab-based chemotherapy. A total of 126 infusions were administered with average of 6 infusions per patient. The majority of patients were treated with CHOP—Rituximab or CHOP-like regimen. The 90-min Rituximab infusion schedule was well tolerated with no grade 3/4 infusion related adverse events observed. A rapid infusion rituximab over 90 min is well tolerated and safe when administered as the second and subsequent infusions in the course of therapy. This shortened infusion schedule has resulted in a substantial reduction in resource utilization. Our institution has adopted this as routine practice.

Key Words: chemotherapy • infusion • lymphoma • Non-Hodgkin’s • oncology • rituximab

This version was published on September 1, 2009

Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 15, No. 3, 183-186 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1078155208100527


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?