Dosage and administration

Patients with fistulising Crohns disease are prescribed infusions of 5mg/kg infliximab at 0, 2 and 6 weeks.
The infliximab formulation does not contain a preservative and it is recommended that infliximab is administered to the patient immediately after reconstitution.
The infusion should run for a minimum of 2 hours and a maximum of 3 hours.
The treating doctor must be present for at least 10 minutes following the initiation of any infusion.

Pre-medication

The decision to pre-medicate is at the discretion of the medical staff.
Consider chlorpheniramine, hydrocortisone and paracetamol.
All prophylactic medication administered should be documented in the patients notes.

Monitoring

Side-effects

Flu like symptoms.
Headache, hypotension, transient fever, chills.
GI symptoms, skin rashes.
Anaphylaxis

Concomitant medication

Immunosuppressants and corticosteroids
The following drugs have been used during treatment with infliximab
– cyclosporin, aminosalicylates, 6-mercaptopurine, azathioprine and corticosteroids.

Anti-diarrhoeal agents
Anti-diarrhoeal and antispasmodic drugs maybe taken as required.

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