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Zofran (Ondansetron)

Description

Zofran is the brand name for the generic drug ondansetron. Zofran is helpful in preventing nausea and vomiting by acting on the chemical that trigger it. Zofran is available in the form of injections and orally disintegrating tablets. This injection is effective for patients in controlling nausea and vomiting that are induced by chemotherapy which is used in the treatment of cancer. Zofran injection is available in 2 mL and 20 mL vials for single and multiple doses. Zofran injection premixed is available as 32 mg/50mL in 5% dextrose.

Recommendations

Zofran is injected in three doses to prevent vomiting and nausea. The first dose is of 0.15 mg/kg is given before 30 minutes of starting the chemotherapy and the second and third doses are given after 4 hours and 8 hours of the first dose. Before administering the Zofran injection it should be diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride injection of 50 mL of 5% dextrose injection. The dosage is similar to that of the adults for the pediatric patients also.
For post operative prevention of nausea the dosage is 4 mg of undiluted Zofran injected intravenously. For pediatric patients the dosage is a single dose of 0.1 mg/kg. The administration should be over 2 to 5 minutes.

Precautions

The orally disintegrating tablets of Zofran contain phenylalanine. So consult your doctor if this is right for your treatment. Patients who are allergic to ondansetron, palonosetron, dolasetron, and granisetron should not take Zofran. Special dosage adjustments need to be made for patients who suffer from liver disease and Long QT syndrome. Consult your doctor if you are to take Zofran while you are pregnant. Side effects like shivering, anxiety, urinating less, slow heart beat, blurred vision, diarrhea, headache and fever might occur in some patients. Contact your doctor if you experience any of these.