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2745233 
Journal Article 
Money-saving approach to antidote immunotherapy for digoxin toxicity 
Zoppi, F; Pazzucconi, F; Masarin, A; Marocchi, A 
1996 
1 
The Lancet
ISSN: 0140-6736
EISSN: 1474-547X 
IPA/96/1109514 
VOL 347 ISS May 18 1996 
REF 3 
1405-1406 
English 
IPA COPYRIGHT: ASHP A money-saving approach to antidote immunotherapy for digoxin toxicity is presented. Increasing quantities of a digoxin immune Fab (Fab) solution were added to digoxin-free pooled sera to obtain a series of samples with Fab concentrations ranging from 156 mcg/l to 320 mg/l. Digoxin was added to some of these samples to a concentration of 30 mcg/l and they were analyzed with OPUS digoxin test. There was a linear correlation of both samples with the log of the respective calculated serum free-Fab concentration. Monitoring with the OPUS method could have the advantage that after an initial bolus of Fab up to the first appearance of free Fab, a slow infusion is continued to maintain a small aliquot of free circulating Fab to cover 3 elimination half-lives of digoxin (about 90 h). It was concluded that there would be a considerable cost savings by individualizing Fab treatment to each patient.