Dalteparin (patient information): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:33, 18 August 2015

About your treatment

Your doctor has ordered dalteparin sodium, an anticoagulant ('blood thinner'), to prevent harmful blood clots from forming. The drug will be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) once a day. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effects of your treatment using laboratory tests and physical examinations. It is important to keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. The length of treatment depends on how you respond to the medication.

Precautions

Before administering dalteparin,

tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to dalteparin, heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), any other drugs, or pork products.
tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and vitamins.
tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver or kidney disease or diabetes.
tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking dalteparin, call your doctor.

Administering your medication

Before you administer dalteparin, look at the solution closely. It should be clear and free of floating material. Observe the solution container to make sure there are no leaks. Do not use the solution if it is discolored, if it contains particles, or if the container leaks. Use a new solution, but show the damaged one to your health care provider.

It is important that you use your medication exactly as directed. Do not change your dosing schedule without talking to your health care provider.

Side effects

Dalteparin may cause side effects. Tell your health care provider if the following symptom is severe or does not go away:

upset stomach

If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor or health care provider immediately:

unusual bleeding

vomiting or spitting up blood or brown material that resembles coffee grounds

bloody or black, tarry stools

blood in urine

red or dark-brown urine

easy bruising

excessive menstrual bleeding

fever

dizziness or lightheadedness

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

Storing your medication

Your health care provider will probably give you several days supply of dalteparin at a time. You will be told to store it at room temperature.

Store your medication only as directed. Make sure you understand what you need to store your medication properly.

Keep your supplies in a clean, dry place when you are not using them, and keep all medications and supplies out of reach of children. Your health care provider will tell you how to throw away used needles, syringes, tubing, and containers to avoid accidental injury.

In case of emergency/overdose

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Signs of infection

If you are receiving dalteparin under your skin, you need to know the symptoms of a catheter-related infection (an infection where the needle enters your skin). If you experience any of these effects near the infusion site, tell your health care provider as soon as possible:

tenderness

warmth

irritation

drainage

redness

swelling

pain

Brand names

Fragmin®

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-{{SI}}
+{{drug header}}
-{{CMG}}
-__NOTOC__
-==Overview==
+{|
-Dalteparin (dal-TE-pa-rin) is used to prevent deep venous thrombosis, a condition in which harmful blood clots form in the blood vessels of the legs. These blood clots can travel to the lungs and can become lodged in the blood vessels of the lungs, causing a condition called pulmonary embolism. Dalteparin is used for several days after abdominal surgery, while you are unable to walk. It is during this time that blood clots are most likely to form. Dalteparin also may be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
+|-
+|[[File:D29.jpg|thumb|800px]]
+|-
+|}
-==Some commonly used brand names are==
+==About your treatment==
-===In the U.S.===
+Your doctor has ordered dalteparin sodium, an anticoagulant ('blood thinner'), to prevent harmful blood clots from forming. The drug will be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) once a day. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
-* Fragmin
+Your health care provider (doctor, nurse, or pharmacist) may measure the effectiveness and side effects of your treatment using laboratory tests and physical examinations. It is important to keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. The length of treatment depends on how you respond to the medication.
-===In Canada===
+==Precautions==
-* Fragmin
-==Category==
+Before administering dalteparin,
+*tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to dalteparin, heparin, enoxaparin (Lovenox), any other drugs, or pork products.
+*tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and vitamins.
+*tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver or kidney disease or diabetes.
+*tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. If you become pregnant while taking dalteparin, call your doctor.
-* Anticoagulant
+==Administering your medication==
-* antithrombotic
-==Description==
-Dalteparin (dal-TE-pa-rin) is used to prevent deep venous thrombosis, a condition in which harmful blood clots form in the blood vessels of the legs. These blood clots can travel to the lungs and can become lodged in the blood vessels of the lungs, causing a condition called pulmonary embolism. Dalteparin is used for several days after abdominal surgery, while you are unable to walk. It is during this time that blood clots are most likely to form. Dalteparin also may be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
-Dalteparin is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage form:
+Before you administer dalteparin, look at the solution closely. It should be clear and free of floating material. Observe the solution container to make sure there are no leaks. Do not use the solution if it is discolored, if it contains particles, or if the container leaks. Use a new solution, but show the damaged one to your health care provider.
-* Parenteral
+It is important that you use your medication exactly as directed. Do not change your dosing schedule without talking to your health care provider.
-* Injection (U.S. and Canada)
-==Before Using This Medicine==
+==Side effects==
-In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For dalteparin, the following should be considered:
-Allergies—Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to dalteparin or heparin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, especially pork or pork products, preservatives, or dyes.
-Pregnancy—Dalteparin has not been studied in pregnant women. However, it has not been shown to cause birth defects or other problems in animals.
+Dalteparin may cause side effects. Tell your health care provider if the following symptom is severe or does not go away:
-Breast-feeding—It is not known whether this medicine passes into breast milk. Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are using this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their doctor.
+*upset stomach
-Children—Studies on this medicine have been done only in adult patients, and there is no specific information comparing use of dalteparin in children with use in other age groups.
+If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor or health care provider immediately:
-Older adults—This medicine has been tested and has not been shown to cause different side effects or problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
+*unusual bleeding
-Other medicines—Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are using dalteparin, it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:
+*vomiting or spitting up blood or brown material that resembles coffee grounds
-* Aspirin or
+*bloody or black, tarry stools
-* Inflammation or pain medicine, except narcotics, or
-* Ticlopidine—Using any of these medicines together with dalteparin may increase the risk of bleeding
-Other medical problems—The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of dalteparin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
+*blood in urine
-* Bleeding problems or
+*red or dark-brown urine
-* Eye problems caused by diabetes or high blood pressure or
-* Heart infection or
-* High blood pressure (hypertension) or
-* Kidney disease or
-* Liver disease or
-* Stomach or intestinal ulcer (active) or
-* Stroke—The risk of bleeding may be increased
-* Also, tell your doctor if you have received dalteparin or heparin before and had a reaction to either of them called thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count in the blood), or if new blood clots formed while you were receiving the medicine.
-* In addition, tell your doctor if you have recently had medical surgery . This may increase the risk of serious bleeding when you are taking dalteparin.
-==Proper Use==
+*easy bruising
-If you are using dalteparin at home, your health care professional will teach you how to inject yourself with the medicine. Be sure to follow the directions carefully. Check with your health care professional if you have any problems using the medicine .
+*excessive menstrual bleeding
-Put used syringes in a puncture-resistant, disposable container , or dispose of them as directed by your health care professional.
+*fever
-Dosing—The dose of dalteparin will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label . The following information includes only the average doses of dalteparin. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
+*dizziness or lightheadedness
-* For injection dosage form:
+If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
-:*For prevention of deep venous thrombosis (leg clots) and pulmonary embolism (lung clots):
-:*:*Adults— The dose will be determined by your doctor, based on your condition.
-:*:*Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
-* For prevention of blood clots after unstable angina (chest pain) or non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (a type of heart attack)
-:*Adults—120 International Units (IU) per kilogram of body weight injected under the skin (but no more than 10,000 IU) given every 12 hours for 5 to 8 days. Unless your doctor recommends otherwise, aspirin should be given 75 to 165 milligrams daily.
-:*Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
-Missed dose—If you miss a dose of this medicine, use it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
+==Storing your medication==
-==Storage==
-* Keep out of the reach of children.
-* Store away from heat and direct light.
-* Keep the medicine from freezing. Do not refrigerate.
-* Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.
-==Precautions==
+*Your health care provider will probably give you several days supply of dalteparin at a time. You will be told to store it at room temperature.
-Tell all your medical doctors and dentists that you are using this medicine .
+Store your medication only as directed. Make sure you understand what you need to store your medication properly.
-Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following side effects:
+Keep your supplies in a clean, dry place when you are not using them, and keep all medications and supplies out of reach of children. Your health care provider will tell you how to throw away used needles, syringes, tubing, and containers to avoid accidental injury.
-* Bruising or bleeding, especially bleeding that is hard to stop. (Bleeding inside the body sometimes appears as bloody or black, tarry stools or causes faintness.)
+==In case of emergency/overdose==
-* Back pain; burning, pricking, tickling, or tingling sensation; leg weakness; numbness; paralysis; or problems with bowel or bladder function.
-==Side Effects==
-Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
-Stop using this medicine and check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
+In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
-===More common===
+==Signs of infection==
-Deep, dark purple bruise, pain, or swelling at place of injection
-===Less common===
-Bleeding of gums; coughing up blood; difficulty in breathing or swallowing; dizziness; headache; increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding; nosebleeds; paralysis; prolonged bleeding from cuts; red or dark brown urine; red or black, tarry stools; shortness of breath; unexplained pain, swelling, or discomfort, especially in the chest, abdomen, joints, or muscles; unusual bruising; vomiting of blood or coffee ground-like material; weakness
-===Rare===
-Back pain; bleeding from mucous membranes; bluish or black discoloration, flushing, or redness of skin; burning, pricking, tickling, or tingling sensation; coughing; feeling faint; fever; leg weakness; numbness; problems with bowel or bladder function; skin rash (which may consist of pinpoint, purple-red spots), hives, or itching; sloughing of skin at place of injection; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips; tightness in chest or wheezing
-Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.
+If you are receiving dalteparin under your skin, you need to know the symptoms of a catheter-related infection (an infection where the needle enters your skin). If you experience any of these effects near the infusion site, tell your health care provider as soon as possible:
+*tenderness
-[[Category:Patient information]]
+*warmth
-[[Category:Cardiology]]
-[[category:Cardiology patient information]]
-[[Category:Drug patient information]]
-[[Category:Mature chapter]]
-{{WikiDoc Help Menu}}
+*irritation
-{{WikiDoc Sources}}
+*drainage
+*redness
+*swelling
+*pain
+==Brand names==
+*Fragmin®