valrubicin

valrubicin

Valstar

Valtaxin

Indications

Action

Pharmacokinetics

Time/action profile (antineoplastic effect)

Contraindications/Precautions

Adverse Reactions/Side Effects

Central nervous system

• dizziness
• headache
• malaise
• weakness

Respiratory

• pneumonia

Cardiovascular

• chest pain
• vasodilation

Gastrointestinal

• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• flatulence
• nausea
• vomiting

Genitourinary

• bladder spasm (most frequent)
• cystitis (most frequent)
• dysuria (most frequent)
• hematuria (most frequent)
• red urine (most frequent)
• urinary frequency (most frequent)
• urinary incontinence (most frequent)
• urinary tract infection (most frequent)
• urinary urgency (most frequent)
• local burning
• nocturia
• urethral pain
• urinary retention

Dermatologic

• rash

Fluid and Electrolyte

• peripheral edema

Hematologic

• anemia

Metabolic

• hyperglycemia

Musculoskeletal

• back pain

Interactions

Drug-Drug interaction

Route/Dosage

Availability

Nursing implications

Nursing assessment

• Monitor patient for bladder spasms following instillation of valrubicin. May cause spontaneous discharge of intravesical instillate; clamping of the urinary catheter is not advised.
• Cystoscopy, biopsy, and urine cytology should be performed every 3 mo to monitor patients for disease recurrence or progression.

Potential Nursing Diagnoses

Implementation

• high alert: Fatalities have occurred with chemotherapeutic agents. Before administering, clarify all ambiguous orders; double check single, daily, and course-of-therapy dose limits; have second practitioner independently double check original order and dose calculations.
• Use aseptic technique during instillation to avoid introducing contaminants into the urinary tract or traumatizing the urinary tract mucosa.
  • Administration should be delayed for at least 2 wk after transurethral resection or fulguration.
  • Solution should be prepared in a biologic cabinet. Wear gloves, gown, and goggles while handling medication. Discard equipment in specially designated containers.
• Intravesicular: Prior to instillation, allow four 5-mL vials of valrubicin to warm slowly to room temperature; do not heat. Withdraw 20 mL from the four vials and dilute with 55 mL of 0.9% NaCl, resulting in 75 mL of diluted valrubicin solution. Solution is clear red. May form a waxy precipitate at temperatures <4°C. If this occurs, warm vial in hand until solution is clear. Do not administer if particulate matter remains. Diluted solution is stable for 12 hr at room temperature. Prepare and store valrubicin solutions in glass, polypropylene, or polyolefin containers and tubing. Cremophor EL in valrubicin may cause leeching from polyvinyl chloride bags and IV tubing.
• Rate: Insert a urethral catheter into the patient’s bladder, drain the bladder, and instill diluted 75-mL valrubicin solution slowly via gravity flow over several minutes. Withdraw catheter. Patient should retain drug for 2 hr before voiding. All patients should void at the end of 2 hr. Instruct patient to maintain adequate hydration following treatment.
• Additive Incompatibility: Do not mix with other drugs.

Patient/Family Teaching

• Inform patient that complete responses from valrubicin occur in only 1 in 5 patients and that delaying cystectomy may lead to metastatic bladder cancer, which is fatal. Discuss the risks associated with both procedures and the increased risk the longer cystectomy is delayed.
• Advise patient that major toxicities from valrubicin cause irritable bladder symptoms, which may occur during instillation and retention and for a limited period following voiding. Red-tinged urine is common for the first 24 hr following instillation. Instruct patient to report prolonged irritable bladder symptoms or prolonged passage of red-tinged urine to health care professional immediately.
• Caution women of childbearing age not to become pregnant during treatment. Men receiving valrubicin should refrain from engaging in sexual intercourse during therapy. Advise patients to use an effective method of contraception throughout treatment.

Evaluation/Desired Outcomes

• Decrease in the spread of bladder cancer.