No abstract

The patient was a 68-year-old woman who developed metastic lymphangitic carcinomatosis in the lung due to primary lung cancer. She was given docetaxel at a dose of 10 mg intravenously every 7 days. At cycle 9 of the chemotherapy, a small-volume extravasation of docetaxel occurred during an infusion through a percutaneously inserted peripheral intravenous line in her left hand.Thereafter, she developed edema and pain at the injection point,which almost completely resolved within 3 days. The 10 th cycle of the docetaxel was administered through the right antecubital vein without incident. However from 15-24 hours after the administration of docetaxel, edema, pain, erythema and piecing pain occurred at the site of the previous extravasation on the back of the left hand. These symptoms gradually progressed, and were more serious and extensive than previous phenomena. During the 2-month follow-up period, the symptoms have been decreasing slowly. "R adiation recall" reactions induced by docetaxel have been previously reported. However, no such "recall" reaction after systemic re-exposure to docetaxel has ever been reported previously. Those involved in the administration of docetaxel should thus be aware of the possibility of this agent causing a "recall" reaction at a previous extravasation site.

No abstract

A questionnaire survey the patient's views regarding drug information was carried on 941 outpatients from April 24 to May 10, 1997 at Fukuoka University Hospital. As a resutlt that drug information and compliance counseling was found to have been given by physicians (73%), Pharmacists (9%), both(7%) and nurses (3%). Thirty-two% of the patients showed a good understanding of the counseling and could correctly identify their medicines. Most patients who did not understand their medications very well wanted written information about the effects, side effects and drug interactions of the prescribed medicines. These patients requested physicians (75 %), Pharmacists (13%) and both (9%) to give the drug information. These results indicate that the present drug counseling to the outpatients is not sufficient. Increasted efforts by pharmacists are therefore still needed to enable patients to obtain appropriate information and thereby improve the overall effectiveness of drug therapy.