Arsenious acid

Arsenious Acid, better known as Trisenox, is used to treat patients with leukemia that have been unresponsive to other agents. This medication gained approval for use by the FDA as a treatment for leukemia. Being that it is poisonous to the human body, it is one of the highly debatable medicaments in the field. Arsenious Acid was first used as a traditional Chinese medicine called Pi Shuang. It is still used today to treat cancer patients and other health conditions.

Arsenious Acid is administered to patients suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and not responding to treatment from the "first-line" agents.

Arsenious Acid is diluted in intravenous solutions. 100 to 250ml of this medication is put 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. Arsenious Acid 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, Arsenious Acid 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.

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

The most common side effects include nausea, emesis, abdominal pains, leukocytosis, languor, hyperglycemia, edema, coughing, rash or itching, dyspnea, cephalalgias and dizziness, and some medication-related toxicity (though this is said to be rare). If you experience any of these or other symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

No tests have been conducted in regards to the interaction of Arsenious Acid with other medicaments. It is recommended that the patient first consult a healthcare professional and go through a thorough physical and medical examination to determine the effectiveness and safety of the use of this medication for them. Patients with adverse allergic reactions to Arsenic Blank should not be treated with this medication.

Patients should be monitored at least two times a week to determine if there are any abnormalities before and after the treatment. This is a high priority for clinically unstable patients.

This medication is in Pregnancy Category D. If you are pregnant or may become pregnant, you should consult your healthcare professional before proceeding with the treatment. Nursing mothers should not breastfeed their babies when undergoing Arsenious Acid treatment to avoid complications within the infant's system. People with renal and hepatic impairment should also consult their healthcare professional before proceeding with the treatment.

Arsenious acid has the following structural formula:

Review published on: 24 February 2010