Ondansetron

Abstract

A retrospective pharmacoeconomic analysis was conducted to compare lengths of hospital stay for, and usage of hospital resources by, patients (850 admissions) who received either ondansetron or standard antiemetic therapy during hospital admissions for cancer chemotherapy. Average hospital costs for patients admitted to a 720 bed academic medical centre for maintenance chemotherapy between October 1990 and September 1991 were analysed using the hospital's online computerised clinical financial management system. A separate prospective time-and-motion study was used to evaluate specific costs of nursing care associated with episodes of severe nausea and vomiting. In addition, patient perception of quality of life and satisfaction with therapy were evaluated for 27 chemotherapy patients using quality-of-life measurements on the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLIC) scale. The results of these studies showed that the average length of hospital stay was shorter for patients who received ondansetron rather than standard antiemetic therapy, but that average hospital costs were not significantly different. The reduced hospitalisation costs offset the higher acquisition cost of ondansetron. Mean quality-of-life scores decreased significantly after chemotherapy for patients receiving either ondansetron or standard therapy, but the changes in scores were not strongly associated with the antiemetic agents used or with any of the clinical or demographic variables measured in this study.

Influence of ABCB1 genetic polymorphisms on the antiemetic response to ondansetron-based medication for cisplatin-based chemotherapy in South Indian cancer patients in a tertiary care hospital

“…Nausea and vomiting, the most concerning side-effect of cancer chemotherapy, imparts a significant health and economic burden on the patients and the community. The discovery of a major role played by serotonin in CINV by acting on 5HT3 receptors and the introduction of ondansetron, first 5HT3 receptor antagonist swung the pendulum towards better control of CINV [11,12]. Variability in response to ondansetron has been observed in clinical practice.…”

“…5HT3 receptor antagonists prevent CINV by antagonizing 5HT3 receptors in the abdominal vagal afferents peripherally and the CTZ centrally [10]. The introduction of ondansetron, a first-in-class drug of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, marked the dawn of a new era in the management of CINV [11,12].…”