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warnings and cautions
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Monitor as acute flushing and erythema of the skin may occur; usually associated with the loading dose; often resolves spontaneously despite continued infusion ( 5.1 ) Monitor for serious anaphylactoid reactions; infusion may be interrupted until treatment of anaphylactoid symptoms has been initiated ( 5.1 ) Should be used with caution in patients with asthma, or where there is a history of bronchospasm ( 5.2 ) Total volume administered should be adjusted for patients less than 40 kg and for those requiring fluid restriction ( 5.3 ) 5.1 Anaphylactoid Reactions Serious anaphylactoid reactions, including death in a patient with asthma, have been reported in patients administered acetylcysteine intravenously. Acute flushing and erythema of the skin may occur in patients receiving acetylcysteine intravenously. These reactions usually occur 30 to 60 minutes after initiating the infusion and often resolve spontaneously despite continued infusion of acetylcysteine. Anaphylactoid reactions (defined as the occurrence of an acute hypersensitivity reaction during acetylcysteine administration including rash, hypotension, wheezing, and/or shortness of breath) have been observed in patients receiving intravenous acetylcysteine for acetaminophen overdose and occurred soon after initiation of the infusion [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )]. If a reaction to acetylcysteine involves more than simply flushing and erythema of the skin, it should be treated as an anaphylactoid reaction. This usually entails administering antihistaminic drugs and in severe cases may require administration of epinephrine. In addition, the acetylcysteine infusion may be interrupted until treatment of the anaphylactoid symptoms has been initiated and then carefully restarted. If the anaphylactoid reaction returns upon reinitiation of treatment or increases in severity, intravenous acetylcysteine should be discontinued and alternative patient management should be considered. 5.2 Monitoring Patients with Asthma Acetylcysteine Injection should be used with caution in patients with asthma, or where there is a history of bronchospasm. 5.3 Volume Adjustment: Patients less than 40 kg and Requiring Fluid Restriction The total volume administered should be adjusted for patients less than 40 kg and for those requiring fluid restriction. To avoid fluid overload, the volume of diluent should be reduced as needed [see Dosage and Administration ( 2 )]. If volume is not adjusted fluid overload can occur, potentially resulting in hyponatremia, seizure and death. For specific treatment information regarding the clinical management of acetaminophen overdose, please contact your regional poison center at 1-800-222-1222, or alternatively, a special health professional assistance line for acetaminophen overdose at 1-800-525-6115.
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Most common adverse reactions (incidence >2%) are rash, urticaria/facial flushing and pruritus 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC at 1-800-551-7176 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Studies Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In the literature the most frequently reported adverse reactions attributed to intravenous acetylcysteine administration were rash, urticaria and pruritus. The frequency of adverse reactions has been reported to be between 0.2% and 20.8%, and they most commonly occur during the initial loading dose of acetylcysteine. Loading Dose/Infusion Rate Study The incidence of drug-related adverse reactions occurring within the first 2 hours following acetylcysteine administration reported in a randomized study in patients with acetaminophen poisoning is presented in Table 5 by preferred term. In this study patients were randomized to a 15-minute or a 60-minute loading dose regimen. Within the first 2 hours following intravenous acetylcysteine administration, 17% developed an anaphylactoid reaction (18% in the 15-minute treatment group; 14% in the 60-minute treatment group) in this randomized, open-label, multi-center clinical study conducted in Australia to compare the rates of anaphylactoid reactions between two rates of infusion for the intravenous acetylcysteine loading dose [ see Warnings (Section 5 ) and Clinical Studies - Loading Dose/Infusion Rate Study (Section 14 ) ] . Table 5. Incidence of Drug-Related Adverse Reactions Occurring Within the First 2 Hours Following Study Drug Administration by Preferred Term: Loading Dose/Infusion Rate Study Treatment Group 15-min 60-min Number of Patients n=109 n=71 Cardiac disorders 5 (5%) 2 (3%) Severity: Tachycardia NOS Unkn Mild Moderate Severe Unkn Mild Moderate Severe 4 (4%) 1 (1%) 2 (3%) Gastrointestinal disorders 16 (15%) 7 (10%) Severity: Nausea Vomiting NOS Unkn Mild Moderate Severe Unkn Mild Moderate Severe 1(1%) 6 (6%) 1 (1%) 1 (1%) 2 (2%) 11 (10%) 2 (3%) 4 (6%) Immune System Disorders 20 (18%) 10 (14%) Severity: Anaphylactoid reaction Unkn Mild Moderate Severe Unkn Mild Moderate Severe 2(2%) 6 (6%) 11 (10%) 1 (1%) 4 (6%) 5 (7%) 1 (1%) Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders 2 (2%) 2 (3%) Severity: Pharyngitis Rhinorrhoea Rhonchi Throat tightness Unkn Mild Moderate Severe Unkn Mild Moderate Severe 1 (1%) 1 (1%) 1 (1%) 1 (1%) Skin & subcutaneous tissue disorders 6 (6%) 5 (7%) Severity: Pruritus Rash NOS Unkn Mild Moderate Severe Unkn Mild Moderate Severe 1 (1%) 2 (3%) 3 (3%) 2 (2%) 3 (4%) Vascular disorders 2 (2%) 3 (4%) Severity: Flushing Unkn Mild Moderate Severe Unkn Mild Moderate Severe 1 (1%) 1 (1%) 2 (3%) 1 (1%) Unkn=Unknown Postmarketing Safety Study A large multi-center study was performed in Canada where data were collected from patients who were treated with intravenous acetylcysteine for acetaminophen overdose between 1980 and 2005. This study evaluated 4709 adult cases and 1905 pediatric cases. The incidence of anaphylactoid reactions in adult (overall incidence 7.9%) and pediatric (overall incidence 9.5%) patients is presented in Tables 6 and 7 . Table 6.Distribution of reported reactions in adult patients receiving intravenous acetylcysteine Incidence (%) Reaction % of Patients (n=4709) Urticaria/Facial Flushing 6.1% Pruritus 4.3% Respiratory Symptoms Respiratory symptoms are defined as presence of any of the following: cough, wheezing, stridor, shortness of breath, chest tightness, respiratory distress, or bronchospasm. 1.9% Edema 1.6% Hypotension 0.1% Anaphylaxis 0.1% Table 7 Distribution of reported reactions in pediatric patients receiving intravenous acetylcysteine Incidence (%) Reaction % of Patients (n=1905) Urticaria/Facial Flushing 7.6% Pruritus 4.1% Respiratory Symptoms Respiratory symptoms are defined as presence of any of the following: cough, wheezing, stridor, shortness of breath, chest tightness, respiratory distress, or bronchospasm. 2.2% Edema 1.2% Anaphylaxis 0.2% Hypotension 0.1%