Abstract
Purpose
Fosaprepitant (Emend®) is an antiemetic frequently used for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. We previously documented an overall 28.7% incidence of infusion-site reactions in patients receiving fosaprepitant via peripheral venous access. These data resulted in a practice change within our institution; fosaprepitant is administered in more dilute concentrations over 30 min to prevent these adverse events. This retrospective study explored the impact of this practice change on the incidence of infusion-site reactions.
Methods
Medical records of patients with cancer receiving intravenous fosaprepitant through a peripheral intravenous line were reviewed. The primary objective of this study was to compare the incidence of infusion-site reactions before the practice change to the incidence after the practice change. Data collection included demographics, fosaprepitant infusion information, and grading of reactions.
Results
Between September 2013 and December of 2013, charts of 122 patients receiving intravenous fosaprepitant through a peripheral line at the The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University were reviewed. We found a 5.74% incidence of infusion-site reactions which is significantly lower than the prechange incidence of 28.7% (p < 0.001).
Conclusions
Infusion-site reactions were significantly reduced when fosaprepitant was diluted to 150 mg/250 ml and infused over 30 min. We recommend oncology pharmacists consider using the more dilute fosaprepitant preparation and 30 min infusion duration when administering via a peripheral intravenous line to improve patient tolerance.
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