Duration of cisplatin excretion in breast milk.

Cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy agent, is commonly used in treating cancers that may affect women of childbearing age, including cervical cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and pediatric tumors in adolescents. The authors found that platinum was undetectable in breast milk at 66 hours and beyond following a 70-mg dose of intravenous cisplatin. Relative infant dose of platinum was calculated to be between 0.29% and 0.40% of the maternal dose corrected for body weight. This case demonstrates minimal exposure to platinum via breast milk, following a single 70-mg intravenous dose of cisplatin.

Medication use in a rural gynecologic population: prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal medicines.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to document current medication use by a rural female population. STUDY DESIGN: Over a 42-month period, nonpregnant women were interviewed about medication use. When applicable, interviews on subsequent visits provided a longitudinal study of medication usage and discontinuation, and data were analyzed according to the number of drugs used, age, and payment status. RESULTS: Five hundred sixty-seven participants had 776 interviews. Ninety-two percent of the participants took prescription medications, 96.5% of the participants self-medicated with over-the-counter medications, and 59.1% of the participants used herbal medications. Usage of prescription medications increased with age and, in some instances, varied with payment status. A database query for potential interacting drugs found several instances of coadministration, including herbal medicines that were not prescribed by the physician. CONCLUSION: Medication usage (all types) by rural women is substantial, and the frequency of usage varies on the basis of both age and payment status. Patients should also be queried concerning medications that are not prescribed by the physician for an assessment of potential drug interactions.

Prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal medicine use in a rural, obstetric population.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the medications that are consumed by a rural obstetric population during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Over a period of 26 months, pregnant women were interviewed about medication use. Interviews on subsequent visits provided a longitudinal study of medication usage and discontinuation. Trend differences were analyzed according to the number of medications, the trimester of use, and insurance status. RESULTS: Five hundred seventy-eight participants had 2086 interviews. The compilation of the interviews showed that 95.8% of the participants took prescription medications, 92.6% of the participants self-medicated with over-the-counter medications, and 45.2% of the participants used herbal medications. Over time, consumption of over-the-counter medications exceeded prescription medication use. Fifteen percent of the pregnant women took ibuprofen at some point during the pregnancy (5.7% in the third trimester). Eight percent of the women were noncompliant and 20% incompletely compliant with prenatal vitamin and mineral formulations. CONCLUSION: Medication use was substantial in this population. Medications (eg, ibuprofen) that are contraindicated in pregnancy were used at unexpectedly high rates. Of the three medication classes, over-the-counter medications were used most frequently.