What it means
An antimetabolite. In cancer care it is given in high doses, often IV, for leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers. In low doses, usually once a week by mouth or injection, it treats rheumatoid arthritisROO-muh-toyd ar-THRY-tisA long-term autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints.rheumat/o flowing, joint pain-oid likearthr/o joint-itis inflammationFull entry , psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases. It can harm the liver, lungs, kidneys and bone marrow, and it causes birth defects and miscarriage.
For the nurse
For arthritis, the dose is once a week, not daily: daily doses taken by mistake have caused deaths. Teach the client the day to take it, to avoid alcohol and pregnancy, and to report mouth sores, fever, cough or bleeding. folic acidFOH-lik AS-idA B vitamin (vitamin B9) that the body needs to make DNA and red blood cells.Full entry is often given to lessen side effects. Blood counts and liver and kidney tests are checked regularly. It is a hazardous drug: follow safe-handling rules.
At a glance
| Drug class | antimetabolite (antineoplastic); disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) |
|---|---|
| Brand names | Trexall, Otrexup, Rasuvo, Xatmep, Jylamvo |
| Abbreviations | MTX is on ISMP's error-prone list (mistaken for mitoxantrone); write the name in full |
| Spanish | metotrexato |
| Also written | Trexall, Otrexup, Rasuvo, Xatmep, Jylamvo |
Related terms
antineoplastic
A drug used to treat cancer by killing cancer cells or stopping them from growing and dividing.
rheumatoid arthritis
A long-term autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the lining of the joints.
folic acid
A B vitamin (vitamin B9) that the body needs to make DNA and red blood cells.
neutropenia
A lower than normal number of neutrophils, the white blood cells that fight bacterial infection first.