title: Low-dose levomepromazine in refractory emesis in advanced cancer patients: an open-label study.
abstract: Seventy patients with advanced cancer and refractory emesis were treated with subcutaneous boluses of levomepromazine (median daily dose: 6.25 mg; range: 3.12-25) in an open-label prospective study. Treatment was associated with a decrease in nausea from a median of 8/10 at baseline (IQR 7-8) to a median of 1 (IQR 0-2) after two days of treatment (P<0.0001); vomiting ceased in 92% of cases. It was possible to remove the nasogastric tube from all 11 patients who had one. The most frequently reported side effect was sedation, with a median of 2/10 (25-75% percentile 1-3), which was not correlated with the dose of levomepromazine. This study suggests that treatment with low-dose levomepromazine is an effective and safe option for advanced cancer patients who fail to respond to first-line antiemetic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Pallium Latinoamerica and Hospital Bonorino Udaondo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. jeisen@fibertel.com.ar
authors.forename: Jorge H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eisenchlas
authors.forename: Nicolás
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garrigue
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Junin
authors.forename: Gustavo G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: De Simone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008728:Methotrimeprazine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014839:Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D008728:Methotrimeprazine