L-spar

Adults:

This drug may have toxic properties and must be handled and administered with care. Special handling procedures should be reviewed prior to handling and followed diligently during reconstitution and administration. Inhalation of dust or aerosols and contact with skin or mucous membranes, especially those of the eyes, must be avoided.As a component of selected multiple-agent induction regimens, L-Asparginase may be administered by either the intravenous or the intramuscular route. When administered intravenously this enzyme should be given over a period of not less than thirty minutes through the side arm of an already running infusion of sodium chloride injection or dextrose injection 5%. L-Asparginase has little tendency to cause phlebitis when given intravenously. Anaphylactic reactions require the immediate use of epinephrine, oxygen and intravenous steroids. When administering L-Asparaginase intramuscularly, the volume at a single injection site should be limited to 2ml. If a volume greater than 2ml Is to be administered, two Injection sites should be used. Unfavorable interactions of L-Asparginase with some antitumor agents have been demonstrated. It is recommended, therefore, that L-Asparginase be used in combination regimens only by physicians familiar with the benefits and risks of a given regimen. During the period of its inhibition of protein synthesis and cell replication, L-Asparaginase may interfere with the enzymatic detoxification of other drugs, particularly in the liver.Geriatric Use: Clinical studies of L-Asparginase did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and olderto determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects.