title: Ondansetron in the treatment of nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy. Portuguese Ondansetron Study Group.
abstract: One-hundred and forty-five chemotherapy patients receiving cisplatin- and non-cisplatin-containing regimens participated in an open evaluation of ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in the prophylaxis of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting. The study had two groups of patients, one receiving cisplatin-containing regimens (Group A) and the other, non-cisplatin-containing regimens (Group B). There were 51 patients recruited to Group A. Ondansetron was given to these patients at a dose of 8 mg intravenously 15 min before chemotherapy, followed by an intravenous infusion for 24 h (1 mg/h), or 8 mg intravenously 4 and 8 h after the start of cisplatin, followed by 8 mg orally three times/day for 5 days. Ninety-four patients were recruited to Group B: these patients received ondansetron at a dose of 8 mg intravenously immediately before chemotherapy or 8 mg orally 1-2 h prior to it, and 8 mg orally three times/day for 3-5 days. For acute emesis (first 24 h), complete control was achieved in 79.5% of Group A patients and in 78.1% of Group B. For delayed emesis (days 2-5), 79.7% of Group A patients and 84.6% of Group B were completely protected during the entire study period. Nausea was also well controlled with ondansetron; 83.2% (Group A) and 86.5% (Group B) reported only mild nausea or no nausea at all. Ondansetron was effective in the control of both cisplatin- and non-cisplatin-induced emesis and well tolerated without any serious drug-related adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Distrital de Abrantes, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ribiero
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de Faria
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: dos Reis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fráguas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Matos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uva
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Batarda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D017294:Ondansetron; D002945:Cisplatin