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Patient Info
Information for Patients
In those situations in which the physician determines that a home dialysis patient can safely and effectively self-administer EPOGEN (r) , the patient should be instructed as to the proper dosage and administration. Home dialysis patients should be referred to the full " Information for Home Dialysis Patients " insert; it is not a disclosure of all possible effects. Patients should be informed of the signs and symptoms of allergic drug reaction and advised of appropriate actions. If home use is prescribed for a home dialysis patient, the patient should be thoroughly instructed in the importance of proper disposal and cautioned against the reuse of needles, syringes, or drug product. A puncture-resistant container for the disposal of used syringes and needles should be available to the patient. The full container should be disposed of according to the directions provided by the physician. Text Continues Below
Renal Function In adult patients with CRF not on dialysis, renal function and fluid and elec-trolyte balance should be closely monitored, as an improved sense of well-being may obscure the need to initiate dialysis in some patients. In patients with CRF not on dialysis, placebo-controlled studies of progression of renal dysfunction over periods of greater than 1 year have not been completed. In shorter term trials in adult patients with CRF not on dialysis, changes in creatinine and creatinine clear-ance were not significantly different in patients treated with EPOGEN (r) compared with placebo-treated patients. Analysis of the slope of 1/ serum creati-nine versus time plots in these patients indicates no significant change in the slope after the initiation of EPOGEN (r) therapy.
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