Aprepitant was approved in 2003. The drug works to lessen the amount of nausea and vomiting that cancer patients experience after treatment. Aprepitant has been well-studied in adults, but not in children. Data from adult studies has shown aprepitant to be safe. It has also been shown to be effective in lessening the amount of nausea and vomiting that adult patients experience. Because aprepitant has been shown to be safe and effective, the investigators have been using it in pediatric patients at this hospital as standard of care. The investigators will be surveying patients already receiving aprepitant for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting to determine the amount of nausea and vomiting they experience. The investigators will also be surveying these patients to determine what their appetite is like and if they experience any disruptions in activities of daily living. The investigators are also going to be assessing any side effects these patients experience from receiving aprepitant.
This will be a prospective, observational study conducted at WVU Children´s Hospital. The study will be conducted over a one-year period until data from 20-40 patient encounters is obtained. There will be no randomization and no control group. Information will be collected from all patients who meet the study´s inclusion criteria. Patients will be given a survey to complete at baseline, on all days of chemotherapy, and for five days after the conclusion of chemotherapy using the BARF Scale and a 4-point Likert scale. The information collected from the survey will include the incidence and severity of nausea and emesis, evaluation of appetite, activities of daily living, and rescue medications used for acute CINV. The specific chemotherapy regimen that each patient receives will be recorded. Any data identifying the patient will be de-identified after all pertinent data is collected. Descriptive statistics will be used to analyze data.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
20
WVU Healthcare
Morgantown, West Virginia, United States
Number of episodes of nausea and vomiting
The primary outcome measure is assessing the incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric patients receiving highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy and a prophylactic regimen that includes aprepitant. The incidence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting will be evaluated using the BARF Scale and a 4-point Likert scale on all days of chemotherapy and for five days following the conclusion of chemotherapy compared to baseline
Time frame: Five days after end of chemotherapy
Appetite score on a 4-point Likert scale
Patients will be assessed for changes in appetite using a 4-point Likert scale at baseline, on all days of chemotherapy, and for the five days following the conclusion of chemotherapy
Time frame: Five days after the end of chemotherapy
Activities of daily living score on a 4-point Likert scale
Patients will be assessed for changes in activities of daily living using a 4-point Likert scale at baseline, on all days of chemotherapy, and for five days following the conclusion of chemotherapy
Time frame: Five days after the end of chemotherapy
Number of medications used for breakthrough nausea and vomiting
The usage of all breakthrough medications for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting while in the hospital will be recorded.
Time frame: Five days after the end of chemotherapy
Participants with Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability
Incidence of adverse events that can be definitely or probably related to aprepitant using the Naranjo Adverse Event Scale.
Time frame: Five days after the end of chemotherapy
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