Which is an irritant and which is a vesicant?

Which is an irritant and which is a vesicant?

Some antineoplastic agents may be classified as a vesicant, others as an irritant, and some as an irritant with vesicant properties, depending on the effect on surrounding tissue when the agent leaks outside the vein.15,17 A vesicant (Box 1) is any drug that has the potential to cause tissue damage when leakage occurs outside the vein.13

What are the requirements for inclusion on the vesicant list?

Inclusion in the vesicant list required either: (1) reports in literature or from manufacturer of tissue injury upon extravasation or (2) adverse effects or warnings in secondary drug information sources such as Micromedex or Lexicomp consistent with a vesicant along with a valid proposed mechanism of tissue injury.

Is there a cost for overtreatment of vesicant?

Compared with potentially catastrophic costs of undertreatment, the cost of overtreatment is minimal. Extravasation is a universal risk of intravenous (IV) vesicant administration. Appropriate precautions can reduce the risk but not eliminate it.

What is the difference between a flare reaction and a vesicant?

Definitions Extravasation: Leakage of a medication into tissue or extravascular space around the infusion site. Flare reaction: A skin reaction to a medication which is an allergic response. Vesicant: Medication that may causes severe and/or irreversible tissue injury and necrosis.

Are there any preclinical data on vesicants?

Comprehensive preclinical data describing potential mechanisms of tissue damage or vesicant-like properties are lacking.

What happens after extravasation of a vesicant?

Introduction Extravasation of a vesicant is a potentially disfiguring event associated with many commonly used intravenous antineoplastics. There are numerous reports of paclitaxel causing tissue damage including blistering following extravasation [Stanford and Hardwicke, 2003].

Are there any classes of antineoplastic agents called vesicants?

Several classes of antineoplastic agents are universally referred to as vesicants with ample supporting literature. However, the literature surrounding the taxanes is controversial.