zanamivir hydrate: prescribing and clinical use
Focused clinical detail for use alongside current product information, local policy and patient-specific assessment.
zanamivir hydrate: clinical details
Prescribing considerations
- Reserve for complicated, potentially life-threatening influenza A or B meeting the licensed resistance or treatment-suitability criteria.
- Use in accordance with current official influenza guidance and seek infection-specialist input for severe illness, suspected resistance or poor response.
- Use caution in renal impairment because systemic exposure increases.
- It has not been shown to prevent bacterial complications of influenza.
- The product is subject to additional monitoring.
Contraindications and cautions
- Hypersensitivity to zanamivir or any excipient.
Monitoring
- Assess renal function before treatment and regularly thereafter.
- Observe for infusion hypersensitivity and serious skin reactions; stop immediately if serious hypersensitivity is suspected.
- Monitor for seizures, delirium, hallucinations, reduced consciousness or abnormal behaviour, particularly in children and adolescents.
- In immunocompromised patients with poor virological response, investigate possible antiviral resistance.
Clinical pharmacology
Zanamivir selectively inhibits influenza A and B neuraminidase. It has very low protein binding, is not detectably metabolised and is eliminated unchanged by glomerular filtration.
Formulation and product differences
- Dectova is a clear intravenous solution and is distinct from inhaled zanamivir powder.
- The infusion solution must not be nebulised.
- It may be administered undiluted or diluted only as specified with sodium chloride solution.
- Each vial is single use and contains sodium.
zanamivir hydrate preparations and strengths
Solution for infusion
Route: Intravenous
Strengths: 10 mg/mL
zanamivir hydrate interactions
Clinically important pharmacokinetic interactions are considered unlikely because zanamivir is not metabolised by cytochrome P450 enzymes and is eliminated unchanged by the kidneys.
Oral oseltamivir
A clinical study found no evidence of an interaction.
Other intravenous medicines or glucose- or electrolyte-containing infusion solutions
Do not mix or administer simultaneously with Dectova. Use only the supported sodium chloride diluent when dilution is required.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.