Criston 2 Injection

✔️ Uses of Criston 2 Injection

Treatment of Various types of cancer

✔️ Side Effects of Criston 2 Injection

Patients and caregivers should be informed about potential side effects. Most side effects are reversible and dosage-dependent.

• Common Side Effects: Hair loss and neuromuscular symptoms, including sensory impairment, neuritic pain, and motor issues.
• Gastrointestinal: Constipation, abdominal cramps, and paralytic ileus may occur. Prophylactic laxatives and enemas are often recommended.
• Genitourinary: Hyperuricemia, polyuria, dysuria, or bladder atony, especially in patients with lymphomas or leukemia.
• Cardiovascular: Hypertension, hypotension, and potential coronary artery disease (with prior mediastinal radiation).
• Neurologic: Sensory impairment, paraesthesia, and motor difficulties. Severe neuromuscular effects may develop with continued use.
• Others: Fever, headache, impotence, diminished libido, and weight loss at high doses.

✔️ How does Criston 2 Injection work?

It works by stopping the growth of cancer cells by acting on microtubules that provide structure and movement of the cells.

✔️ Quick Suggestions:

• Criston 2 Injection is usually administered in the clinical/hospital setting under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional.
• Follow all the instructions given by your doctor. Inform the doctor if you have a known allergy to this medicine.
• Report all your current medicines as well as your medical conditions to the doctor before receiving this medicine.

✔️ Benefits of Criston 2 Injection

Criston 2 Injection contains Vincristine, an anti-cancer medicine used to treat various types of cancer. It is used to treat cancers of the blood (leukemia or lymphomas), breast, head and neck, or lung. Criston 2 Injection may be used to treat multiple myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells), and it may also be used in the treatment of some cancers in children. It is also used in a blood disorder known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) after another medication has become unsuccessful in treating it.

✔️ Pharmacology

Vincristine sulfate, derived from the periwinkle plant (Vinca rosea Linn), is an alkaloid salt used in treatment. It appears as a white to slightly yellow hygroscopic powder, freely soluble in water and slightly soluble in alcohol. Following intravenous administration, vincristine shows a triphasic serum decay pattern with half-lives of 5 minutes (initial), 2.3 hours (middle), and 85 hours (terminal). However, the terminal half-life can range from 19 to 155 hours. The liver is the primary organ for excretion, with approximately 80% of the drug eliminated in feces and 10–20% in urine. Within 15–30 minutes after injection, over 90% of the drug leaves the bloodstream and binds to tissues, although not irreversibly.

✔️ Dosage & Administration of Criston 2 Injection

Proper calculation and administration of vincristine are critical, as overdosing can lead to severe or fatal consequences. The drug is administered intravenously at weekly intervals. 

Intrathecal administration is fatal.

• Adults: The standard dose is 1.4 mg/m².
• Children: The usual dose is 1.5–2 mg/m². For children weighing 10 kg or less, the initial dose should be 0.05 mg/kg weekly, with careful dose adjustments based on response.

Important Considerations:

• Avoid administering vincristine to patients receiving radiation therapy involving the liver.
• When combined with L-asparaginase, administer vincristine 12–24 hours before reducing toxicity, as L-asparaginase can slow vincristine's hepatic clearance.
• Follow the registered physician's recommendations for dosing and adjustments.

Administration: 

Vincristine can be injected directly into a vein or through the tubing of an intravenous infusion. The injection is typically completed within one minute. The solution can be further diluted with 0.9% sodium chloride or 0.5% dextrose injection, if necessary.
Take medication as directed by a registered physician.

✔️ Interaction

• Allopurinol: May increase the risk of bone marrow suppression caused by vincristine.
• Neurotoxic drugs: Neurotoxicity may increase if combined with drugs like L-asparaginase or isoniazid.
• Doxorubicin: Combining vincristine with doxorubicin and prednisone may result in greater myelosuppression; this combination should be avoided.
• Methotrexate: Vincristine enhances methotrexate uptake by malignant cells, which can be beneficial in high-dose methotrexate therapy.

✔️ Contraindications:

• Patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome (demyelinating form).
• Those undergoing radiation therapy involving the liver.
• Known hypersensitivity to vinca alkaloids or mannitol.

✔️ Pregnancy & Lactation

• Pregnancy: Category D – May harm the fetus. Use only if the benefits outweigh the risks.
• Lactation: Vincristine is excreted in breast milk; breastfeeding is not recommended.

✔️ Precautions & Warnings

• Ensure proper needle placement before administering vincristine intravenously. Leakage into surrounding tissues can cause severe irritation; if this occurs, stop immediately and re-administer through another vein.
• Intrathecal administration is fatal and must be avoided. Immediate intervention may not prevent paralysis and death.
• Vincristine is a vesicant and can cause severe local reactions if extravasation occurs. Treat leakage with hyaluronidase and apply moderate heat to minimize tissue damage.
• Use caution in patients with pre-existing neuromuscular conditions or those who have undergone previous chemotherapy or radiation

✔️ Storage:

Store at 2°C–8°C in a refrigerator. Protect from light and do not freeze. Keep out of reach of children.