Ralph D’Agostino
Tanzania
Research Article
Urinary Specific Gravity (USG) as an Assessment Tool for the Management of Dehydration in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Chemo-Radiation with Weekly Cisplatin
Author(s): Marcelo Bonomi, Tamjeed Ahmed, Thomas Lycan, David Warner, Christopher Sullivan, Joshua Waltonen, Kathryn Greven, Bart Frizzell, Mercedes Porosnicu, Katharine Batt, Jimmy Ruiza and Ralph D’AgostinoMarcelo Bonomi, Tamjeed Ahmed, Thomas Lycan, David Warner, Christopher Sullivan, Joshua Waltonen, Kathryn Greven, Bart Frizzell, Mercedes Porosnicu, Katharine Batt, Jimmy Ruiza and Ralph D’Agostino
Background: Concomitant chemo-radiation therapy (CRT) with cisplatin is the mainstay of treatment for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. Nephrotoxicity is a well-documented adverse effect of cisplatin, which is exacerbated by dehydration, a common complication in this group of patients. This study prospectively assessed the utility of urine specific gravity (USG) as a guide for fluid replacement, and its preventive effect in cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity.
Methods: Patients with head and neck cancer who received CRT with weekly cisplatin at our institution were included in the analysis. All patients received 1 L normal saline (NS) with 1 g of magnesium and 10 mEq of potassium pre and post cisplatin. USG was measured weekly, patients with USG>1.020 was considered dehydrated and received 2 L NS twice weekly. Those patients.. View More»
