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Biomedical subjects

R Ballentine

Publications and source records attributed to R Ballentine.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Amsacrine evaluation.

Amsacrine, an antineoplastic agent currently undergoing clinical trials in the U.S., has been shown to be active against adult and pediatric leukemias, Hodgkin's disease, and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Amsacrine is highly bound to plasma proteins and is eliminated primarily via hepatic metabolism. Severe hepatic dysfunction will result in a decreased excretion rate of the drug. The primary side effect is a dose-related suppression of bone marrow function. Other reported toxic effects include mucositis, nausea, vomiting, cardiotoxicity, liver dysfunction, and alopecia. Despite these negative effects, amsacrine appears to have a role in the combination therapy of acute leukemias.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome and the management of associated opportunistic infections.

Since the spring of 1981, more than 2300 cases of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported from 41 states to the Centers for Disease Control. Cases also have been reported from 20 foreign countries, and reports are increasing at an alarming rate. More than 900 people (approximately 40 percent) have died of this disease. AIDS is characterized by skin test anergy to recall antigens, decreased T-helper subset, and inverted helper T-cell:suppressor T-cell ratios in the peripheral blood. Overt AIDS may be preceded by a prodrome that may last for many months and consists of fever, weight loss, and lymphadenopathy. The immune defect in AIDS permits the development of opportunistic infections caused by a number of organisms, including Pneumocystis carinii, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, Toxoplasma gondii, and various fungi. Certain malignancies also are associated with AIDS, in particular, Kaposi's sarcoma. Although the etiology of AIDS is unknown, the causative agent appears to be infectious. Lifestyle factors such as drug use and certain sexual activities may play a role. Currently, epidemiologists and others investigating the syndrome believe that AIDS can spread through sexual contact, blood products, or both. AIDS patients include homosexual males, users of intravenous drugs, immigrants from Haiti, hemophiliacs, female partners of males with AIDS, infants born to mothers who have AIDS, and persons who have received blood products from AIDS patients. Thus far, questions about AIDS outnumber the answers. Intensive research is being conducted to develop a rational approach to the treatment of AIDS and a better understanding of the relationship between the immune defense system and cancer.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1981

Bioavailability of allopurinol oral and rectal dosage forms.

The bioavailability of allopurinol from orally administered tablets and rectally administered suppositories is reported. Two types of rectal suppositories (cocoa butter and polyethylene glycol) were compounded and contained 300 mg allopurinol (from oral tablets). Five healthy volunteers received 300 mg allopurinol orally from tablets or rectally from suppositories in a randomized, three-way crossover design. Serial blood samples were drawn for 72 hours following administration and were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography for allopurinol and its metabolite, oxipurinol. The interaction between allopurinol and PEG was studied in vitro using a dialysis method. Serum allopurinol levels following oral administration of tablets peaked at 1.5 +/- 0.23 microgram/ml at 5.20 +/- 0.65 hours. Allopurinol was not detectable after administration of cocoa butter/allopurinol suppositories; oxipurinol peaked at 0.34 +/- 0.14 microgram/ml at 13 +/- 11 hours. The bioavailability of allopurinol from the cocoa butter suppository, relative to the tablet, was 5.77 +/- 2.5%. Neither allopurinol nor oxipurinol was detectable (less than 0.1 microgram/ml) in the sera of persons following administration of PEG suppositories. Dialysis studies showed decreased loss of allopurinol from the dialysis sac as PEG concentration increased. The rectal suppositories of allopurinol used in this study did not appear to be an efficient means of administering this drug.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1980

Human serum albumin usage in a comprehensive cancer center.

During 1977, M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute used 270,575 g of human serum albumin (HSA) at a patient cost of $1.1 million. For a 1-month period in early 1978, a survey of HSA usage was conducted in the 440-bed hospital. Patients who were started on albumin during the study period were included and monitored for the duration of their therapy. The largest groups of patients receiving albumin were those with gynecological tumors (30%) and gastrointestinal tumors (16%). Two-thirds of all patients receiving HSA were also receiving intravenous hyperalimentation (IVH); 80% of all HSA used was given to IVH patients. Although the IVH patients received a smaller daily dose of HSA, the average length of their therapy was about three times longer than that of the non-IVH patients. The mean total dose for the IVH patients was 344 g as compared to 180 g for non-IVH patients. For all patients, the mean total dose of HSA was 289 g at a patient cost of $1212. Of the patients, 66% had an initial serum albumin level determined before therapy was begun, 43% had a serum albumin level run at the termination of therapy, 16% had neither, and 28% had only one serum albumin level during their HSA therapy. Ninety percent of the patients had at least one period of 4 days or longer without a serum albumin level being obtained.

Cancer Care Facilities↗
PubMed1979

A survey of interdisciplinary participation in medical and pharmaceutical literature.

Selected medical and pharmacy journals were reviewed for the years 1966 and 1976 to determine if pharmacists and physicians are publishing more frequently in each other's literature now than they were ten years ago. Three medical journals were reviewed: the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Annals of Internal Medicine. Two pharmacy journals were reviewed: the American Journal of Hospital Pharmacy and Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy. The total number of articles and letters listing at least one pharmacist as an author was determined for each of the medical journals and the number of articles and letters listing at least one physician as an author was determined for each of the pharmacy journals. In 1966, only one article from any of the three medical journals listed a pharmacist as an author. This number increased to 13 in 1976. The number of letters written in the medical journals by pharmacists increased from only two in 1966 to 31 in 1976. The number of physician-authored articles in the pharmacy journals increased from seven in 1966 to 35 in 1976. The number of letters from physicians remained about the same.

Authorship↗
PubMed1979

Renal excretion kinetics of high-dose cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) administered with hydration and mannitol diuresis.

The effect of hydration and mannitol diuresis on the nephrotoxicity and renal excretion kinetics of high-dose cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) was examined in seven men undergoing treatment for testicular or bladder carcinoma. The elimination half-life averaged 26.8 hours, shorter than values previously reported from studies not employing hydration and diuresis. In addition, no signs of nephrotoxicity were observed. The results suggest that hydration and mannitol diuresis decrease the nephrotoxicity of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) by increasing its rate of elimination.

Blood Cell Count↗
PubMed1978

Drug information services in an oncology institution.

Information requests received over a 14-month period in the drug information service of an oncology hospital were reviewed. Requests were classified as to the nature of the question, category of requestor and geographical distribution of both questions and requestors. Inquiries were tabulated as either oncology-related or nononcology and further divided into one of 12 information categoreis. Those questions concerning investigational chemotherapy and unproven cancer remedies were tabulated. An average of 104 requests monthly were received. Prescribing practitioners accounted for 47.7% of all inquirers. Overall, 39.4% of total requests were oncology-related. The majority (72%) of total requests originated within the institution. The greatest number of requests (17.7%) were of a general review nature. The second greatest number (14.3%) were efficacy-related questions which solicited an opinion as to the appropriateness of drug use. Methods need to be developed for measuring the impact of drug information services on prescribing habits.

Cancer Care Facilities↗
PubMed1977

Unproved cancer remedies. A survey of use in pediatric outpatients.

Sixty-nine patients or parents of patients were interviewed during a five-week period. Each interviewee was given a questionnaire listing commonly recommended unproved drugs, diets, and miscellaneous treatments, and was instructed to respond to each remedy as follows: Have you tried it? Have you considered trying it? Has it been recommended by someone else? Six patients (8.7%) had tried at least one unproved remedy, four (5.8%) considered trying some other remedy, and recommendations to seek other remedies had been made to 17 patients (24.6%). Laetrile and assistance from faith healers were the remedies named most frequently.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1977

Information on antineoplastic drugs for nononcologist physicians.

A postcard questionnaire was used to evaluate drug information letters that were sent to physicians who administered injectable chemotherapy to a hospital's outpatients. During the eight-month study period, 282 questionnaires were sent out with patients and 86 (30%) were returned. Three drugs (doxorubicin, fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide) accounted for over 50% of all the drugs listed on the returned surveys. Responses indicating prior knowledge of side effects, route of administration and stability ranged from a low of 66% (stability information) to a high of 86% (route of administration). All of the responses for investigational drugs indicated that the physician thought the drug information received was helpful. More than 90% of the responses indicated that the information was helpful for commercially available drugs. Two-thirds of all responses from oncologists indicated that the information in the letters was helpful; a much higher percentage (98%) of nononcologists found the information helpful. Because of the positive response to the letters, the drug information service plans to expand and continue the program.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1976

ABC inventory analysis and economic order quantity concept in hospital pharmacy purchasing.

ABC inventory analysis and the economic order quantity (EOQ) concept were studied as alternatives to the cyclical ordering system used by the pharmacy in a 558-bed general hospital. The inventory was divided into A, B or C groups according to the annual dollar value of the items. Two samples were selected to be studied (the first consisting of 10% of the total inventory and the second consisting of 10% of the A, or high cost, items). For each item in both samples the EOQ was calculated to estimate the proposed annual inventory cost as compared to the actual cost as determined from past inventory records. In the first sample, there was a statistically significant mean annual savings of $4.13 +/- $0.36 (S.E.) using the proposed annual cost. In the second sample there was a mean savings of $2.42 +/- $0.60 (S.E.) using the proposed method, which was not statistically significant. Most of the savings with the proposed ABC-EOQ system would occur with the low dollar value items (B and C items) which were being purchased too frequently.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗