NEWS BRIEFS
Subcutaneous epoetin allows lower dose than IV
In a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine1, patients on hemodialysis received an average weekly dose of epoetin that was 32% less than that for patients treated with IV epoetin.
The study was a randomized, unblinded trial conducted at 24 hemodialysis units at Veterans Affairs medical centers, and involved 208 patients receiving long-term hemodialysis and epoetin therapy with either subcutaneous or intravenous epoetin.
For purposes of the study, the epoetin dose was reduced until the hematocrit was below 30%, and then gradually increased to maintain the hematocrit level in the 30% to 33% range for 26 weeks.
Reference
1. Kaufman J, Reda D, Fye C, et al. Subcutaneous compared with intravenous epoetin in patients receiving hemodialysis. N Engl J Med 1998; 339:578-583.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content