Help Prevent Fatal Error During Lifesaving Cancer Treatment
A rare but fatal error can occur when the cancer medicine vincristine is given the wrong way. Vincristine is given intravenously (into the vein) to treat various types of cancer. It is often given in combination with another cancer medicine called methotrexate. Methotrexate can be given into the spinal canal (intrathecally). This helps prevent the cancer from spreading to the brain. If vincristine is mistakenly given into the spinal canal instead of the methotrexate, death is almost certain.
Learn MoreMix-Ups Between Five Different Inhalers that All Include “Ellipta” as Part of Their Brand Names
The name of a unique inhaler device included in five different brand name medicines has led to multiple mix-ups, not only by consumers but by doctors, pharmacists, and nurses as well. In 2013, the global drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, introduced Ellipta, a new type of inhaler device. It is circular in shape, about the size of a hockey puck, and can combine several different medicines together. The company has packaged combinations of one, two, or three of the medicines listed below using this unique inhaler device:
Learn MoreIt May Not Be Safe to Cut a Medicine Patch
Consumers as well as some health professionals may not know that most medicine patches should never be cut before being applied to the skin. Patches are designed to give a constant amount of medicine over a certain period of time, which may range from several hours to a month. The medicine reaches your body by going through the blood vessels under your skin. If the patch is cut, the medicine in each half of the patch might be released too quickly, leading to a serious overdose.
Learn MorePossible Risk of Injury Following EpiPen Jr Injection
If you keep an EpiPen Jr (epinephrine) auto-injector on hand in case a child has a severe allergic reaction, you need to know about the risk of cutting a child while the needle is under the skin if he or she moves during the injection. An EpiPen Jr auto-injector is a disposable automatic injection device filled with 1 dose of epinephrine. When the orange tip is pressed against a child's outer thigh until it "clicks" and then held there for 10 seconds, the dose is automatically delivered. Prompt treatment of severe allergic reactions in the home and community can be lifesaving and has resulted in better survival rates and less long-term effects. Most often, auto-injectors are used successfully without complications. But two children recently sustained cuts on their legs when using the EpiPen Jr.
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