rilonacept

rilonacept

Arcalyst

Indications

Action

Pharmacokinetics

Time/action profile (improvement in symptoms)

Contraindications/Precautions

Adverse Reactions/Side Effects

Respiratory

• upper respiratory tract infections (most frequent)
• cough

Local

• injection site reactions (most frequent)

Metabolic

• changes in lipid profile

Neurologic

• hypoesthesia

Miscellaneous

• serious life-threatening infections (life-threatening)
• hypersensitivity reactions

Interactions

Drug-Drug interaction

Route/Dosage

Availability

Nursing implications

Nursing assessment

• Assess for signs of infections. Discontinue therapy if serious infection occurs. Do not administer to patients with active or chronic infections.
• Assess for signs of hypersensitivity reactions; institute symptomatic therapy.
• .
• Lab Test Considerations: Monitor lipid profiles every 2–3 mo during therapy. May cause ↑total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. Consider lipid lowering therapies as needed.

Potential Nursing Diagnoses

Implementation

• Administer all recommended adult and pediatric vaccinations, including pneumococcal vaccine and inactivated influenza vaccine, prior to starting rilonacept therapy.
• Administer first dose under supervision of health care professional.
• Loading dose in adults is given as two 2 mL injections on the same day in 2 different injection sites. In pediatric patients 1 or 2 injections may be used. Do not administer more than once weekly or more then 2 mL/injection site.
• Reconstitute with 2.3 mL of Sterile water for injection using a 27-gauge 1/2 inch needle for a concentration of 80 mg/mL. Discard needle and syringe after reconstitution. Shake vial for 1 min and allow to sit for 1 min. Solution is viscous, clear, colorless to pale yellow. Do not administer solutions that are discolored, contain particulate matter, or are passed the expiration date. Withdraw recommended dose up to 2 mL with new 27-gauge 1/2 inch needle. Vials are single use; discard unused solution. Rilonacept must be refrigerated and protected from light. Reconstituted solution is stable for 3 hrs at room temperature.
• Subcutaneous: Inject subcut into abdomen (avoid area within 2 inches of navel), thigh or upper arm by pinching skin and injecting at a 90° (45° angle for small children or persons with little fat). May require 30 seconds to inject entire dose. Pull needle out of skin and hold gauze over site for several seconds. Rotate sites and avoid sites that are bruised, red, tender or hard.

Patient/Family Teaching

• Instruct patient or family on correct technique for preparing and administering injection, and disposing of equipment. If a dose is missed, administer up to the day before next scheduled dose. Take next dose at regularly scheduled time. Advise patient to read Patient Information prior to starting therapy and with each Rx refill in case of new information.
• Advise patient to notify health care professional immediately if signs of infection (fever, cough, flu-like symptoms, open sores) occur during therapy.
• Instruct patient to notify health care professional or seek emergency care if signs of allergic reaction (rash, swollen face, difficulty breathing) occur.
• Advise patient that injection site reactions (erythema, swelling pruritus, bruising, inflammation, pain, edema, dermatitis, urticaria, vesicles, warmth, and hemorrhage) may occur; usually resolve in 1–2 days. Notify health care professional if reaction is persistent.
• Instruct patient to consult health care professional prior to taking other Rx, OTC, or herbal products.
• Advise female patients to notify health care professional if pregnancy is planned or suspected or if breastfeeding.

Evaluation/Desired Outcomes

• Decrease in symptoms (rash, joint pain, fever, tiredness), decrease in and normalization of serum Amyloid A (SAA) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels.