Arsenic oxide

Arsenic Oxide, which goes by the name Trisenox, is a medication used to treat patients with leukemia that are unresponsive to other agents. This medication was given approval for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for leukemia and is one of the highly debatable medicaments in the medical field being that it is poisonous to the human body. Arsenic Oxide was first used as a traditional Chinese medicine called Pi Shuang and is still used today to treat cancer patients and other health conditions.

Arsenic Oxide is administered to patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and who have not responded to treatment from "first-line" agents.

Arsenic Oxide must be diluted in intravenous solutions. 100 to 250ml of this medication is injected into Dextrose Injection, 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, and USP. A single-dosage is stored securely and any leftovers from the ampule must be discarded. Arsenic Oxide is administered 1 to 2 hours intravenously but may be extended to 4 hours if there is acute vasomotor reaction observed in the patient.

For bone marrow therapy, Arsenic Oxide is administered at a dosage of 0.15 mg per kg weight of the patient daily until bone marrow remission. The total dosage given to the patient should not reach 60.

Arsenic Oxide treatment should begin 3 to 6 weeks after completing the induction therapy. It is administered through IV at 0.15 mg per kg weight of the patient daily for 25 dosages in total for 5 weeks, but may vary based on the patient's condition.

Common side effects are wamble, emesis, abdominal pains, leukocytosis, fatigue, hyperglycemia, edema, coughing, rash or pruritus, dyspnea, headaches and dizziness, and some medication-related toxicity -- though the latter is said to be rare. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.

No tests have been conducted in regards to the interaction of Arsenic Oxide with other medicaments. Therefore, it is recommended that the patient first consult a doctor and have them do a thorough physical and medical examination to determine the effectiveness and safety of the use of this medication. Patients who have adverse allergic reaction to Arsenic Blank should not be treated with this medication.

Patients should be monitored at least twice a week to determine abnormalities before and after the treatment. This is a priority for clinically unstable patients.

This medication is in Pregnancy Category D. Any woman who is pregnant or may become pregnant should consult a doctor before proceeding with the treatment. Nursing mothers should not breastfeed their babies when undergoing Arsenic Oxide treatment to avoid complications within the infant's system. People with renal and hepatic impairment should also consult their doctor before proceeding with the treatment.

Arsenic oxide has the following structural formula:

Review published on: 22 February 2010