Mabthera

isn't it a chemo agent for lymphoma? in the u.s. it's rituxan.

Mabthera is rituximab, which we also know as Rituxin.

We always give the first total dose on two days. Day '0', we give a 100 mg test dose over 4 hours.

Second day, or Day '1', we give the remainder of the first dose, starting at 50mg/hour for the first hour, then increasing the rate by 50 mg/hour q 30 minutes until the infusion is complete.

We start subsequest doses at 100mg/hr for the first hour and increase by 50 mg/hour q 30 minutes for the remainder of the dose.

For all doses, we do vs checks q 15 min for the first hour, then q 30 minutes until the dose is done. Our premeds are acetaminophen 650 mg po and diphenhydramine 50 mg IV, given 30 minutes prior to starting the infusion.

We monitor the patient for decreased BP, for fever, chills, rigors.

For BPs

We encourage fluids and do not restrict the diet (unless they are also on chemo). We recommend that they stop all vitamins/ supplements until the course of therapy is complete .

Hope this helps.

Thanks,it helps a lot..........but that is the same waywe do it here. I just wanted to know if there were places doing it differently.

Hi

Our protocol for Rituxin is very much like the one jemb mentioned!!

Mary Ann