Anemias drugs used

The anemias discussed in this chapter include iron deficiency anemia, anemia in patients witii chronic renal disease pernicious anemia, and anemia resulting from a folic acid deficiency. Table 45-1 defines these anemias. Drugp used in treatment of anemia are summarized in die Summary Drug Table Drugp Used in die Treatment of Anemia. 

Anemia may occur in patients with chronic renal failure as tlie result of the inability of the kidney to produce erythropoietin. Erythropoietin is a glycoprotein hormone synthesized mainly in the kidneys and used to stimulate and regulate the production of erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs). Failure to produce the needed erythrocytes results in anemia Two examples of drug used to treat anemia associated with chronic renal failure are epoetin alfa (Epogen) and darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp). 

Epoetin alfa (erythropoietin EPO) and darbepoetin alfa are usually well tolerated. The most common adverse reactions include hypertension, headache, tachycardia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rashes, fever, myalgia, and skin reaction at tlie injection site. See the Summary Drug Table Drug Used in the Treatment of Anemia for more information on these drug. 

The Patient Receiving a Drug Used in the Treatment of Anemia... 

Chloramphenicol was the first orally active, broad-spectrum antibiotic to be used in the clinic, and remains the only antibiotic which is marketed in totally synthetic form. Its initial popularity was dampened, and its utilization plummeted when it was found that some patients developed an irreversible aplastic anemia from use of the drug. Of the hundreds of analogues synthesized, none are significantly more potent or certain to be safer than chloramphenicol itself. Two analogues have been given generic names and fall into this chemical classification. It was found early in the game that activity was retained with p-substituents, and that... 

Section VI. Drugs Used to Treat Diseases of the Blood, Inflammation, Gout Chapter 33 Agents Used in Anemias Hematopoietic Growth Factors... 

Neutropenia is a common adverse effect of the cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer and increases the risk of serious infection in patients receiving chemotherapy. Unlike the treatment of anemia and thrombocytopenia, transfusion of neutropenic patients with granulocytes collected from donors is performed rarely and with limited success. The introduction of G-CSF in 1991 represented a milestone in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. This growth factor dramatically accelerates the rate of neutrophil recovery after dose-intensive myelosuppressive chemotherapy (Figure 33-5). It reduces the duration of neutropenia and usually raises the nadir count, the lowest neutrophil count seen following a cycle of chemotherapy. 

The International Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia Study, Risks to agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia, a first report of their relation to drug use with special reference to analgesics. JAMA 256 1749-1757, 1986. 

International Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia Study Group. Anti-infective drug use in relation to the risk of agranulocytosis and aplastic anemia. Arch Intern Med 1989 149(5) 1036 0. 

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