Patient Medication Information: uses, side effects, how to take - Octalbin 5%
Serious Warnings and Precautions
This product is made from human plasma, which may contain infectious agents, such as viruses that cause hepatitis and other viral diseases. Your doctor should discuss the risks and benefits of this product with you before giving you this product.
What is Octalbin 5% used for?
- The product is given to patients to restore and maintain circulating blood volume where a deficiency in volume has been demonstrated.
How does Octalbin 5% work?
The main task of albumin is the maintenance of the colloidal osmotic (= oncotic) pressure. This type of pressure arises from the ability of albumin to bind to water. The presence of albumin in the plasma ensures that the liquid remains within the vessels and does not diffuse into the tissue.
Albumin is also a transport protein. It binds substances produced by the body, such as hormones or fatty acids as well as drugs such as penicillin, and transports them around the body.
Albumin also acts as a kind of protein reserve. If the body requires building blocks for the repair of large wounds or in inflammations, albumin can be broken down, and the breakdown products can be used as building blocks for other proteins.
What are the ingredients in Octalbin 5%?:
Medicinal ingredients: Human albumin from human plasma source.
Non-medicinal ingredients: Sodium, Potassium, N-acetyl-DL-tryptophan, Caprylic acid, Aluminium, Water for injections.
Octalbin 5% comes in the following dosage forms:
Octalbin 5% is a 50 mg/mL solution for intravenous infusion and comes in the following dosage forms:
1 infusion bottle with 100 mL
1 infusion bottle with 250 mL
1 infusion bottle with 500 mL
Do not use Octalbin 5% if:
Octalbin 5% should not be used if you are hypersensitive to albumin preparations or any of the other ingredients or component of the container of the product.
To help avoid side effects and ensure proper use, talk to your healthcare professional before you take Octalbin 5%. Talk about any health conditions or problems you may have, including if you:
- Are allergic to the active substance, any of the nonmedicinal ingredients or component of the container.
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including any drugs, vitamins, minerals, natural supplements or alternative medicines.
The following may interact with Octalbin 5%:
No interactions of human albumin with other products are known so far. However, Octalbin 5% solution should not be mixed in the same injection with other drugs, whole blood or packed red cells.
How to take Octalbin 5%:
Octalbin 5% will be given to you by a healthcare professional in a healthcare setting.
Usual dose:
As dosage and treatment duration depend on your clinical situation, your physician will decide on your treatment on an individual basis.
Overdose:
If the dosage and rate of infusion are too high, you may develop headache, high blood pressure and discomfort breathing. The infusion should be stopped immediately and your doctor will decide if any other treatment is necessary.
| If you think you, or a person you are caring for, have taken too much Octalbin 5%, contact a health care professional, hospital emergency department or regional poison control centre immediately, even if there are no symptoms. |
|---|
Missed Dose:
Not applicable because Octalbin 5% is administered in a hospital setting by health care professionals.
What are possible side effects from using Octalbin 5%?
These are not all the possible side effects you may have when taking Octalbin 5%. If you experience any side effects not listed here, tell your healthcare professional.
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| RARE | |||
| low blood pressure | X | ||
| allergic reaction | X | ||
| VERY RARE | |||
| anaphylactic reaction | X | ||
| anaphylactic shock | X | ||
| confusional state | X | ||
| headache | X | ||
| rapid heartbeat | X | ||
| slow heart rate | X | ||
| high blood pressure | X | ||
| flushing | X | ||
| difficulty breathing | X | ||
| feeling sick | X | ||
| itchy rash | X | ||
Serious side effects and what to do about them
| Symptom / effect | Talk to your healthcare professional | Stop taking drug and get immediate medical help | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only if severe | In all cases | ||
| angioneurotic edema | X | ||
| rash erythematous | X | ||
| itching | X | ||
| excessive sweating | X | ||
| fever | X | ||
| chills | X | ||
If you have a troublesome symptom or side effect that is not listed here or becomes bad enough to interfere with your daily activities, tell your healthcare professional.
Reporting Side Effects
You can report any suspected side effects associated with the use of health products to Health Canada by:
NOTE: Contact your health professional if you need information about how to manage your side effects. The Canada Vigilance Program does not provide medical advice. |
Storage:
Store and transport at +2 °C to +25 °C.
Store in the original container in order to protect from light.
Do not use after expiry date. Do not freeze.
Keep out of the reach and sight of children.
If you want more information about Octalbin 5%:
- Talk to your healthcare professional
- Find the full product monograph that is prepared for healthcare professionals and includes this Patient Medication Information by visiting the Health Canada website:
(https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/drug-products/drug-product-database.html; the manufacturer’s website http://www.octapharma.ca or by calling 1-888-438-0488.