1. What and why should Rituximab be pre-medicated with?

acetaminophem and/or antihistamines to decrease adverse effects during infusion

2. What is the complement pathway?

antibodies bind to antigens (foreign macromolecules) and then trigger the complement cascade, a series of proteins that combine from the blood to perforate and break open cells leading to cell death

3. What is the mechanism of Imatinib?

targets cell signaling proteins (tyrosine kinase receptor kinase) that instruct cancer cells to divide

4. What are the indications for Imatinib?

chronic myelogenous leukemia, Philadelphia chromosome acute mylogenous leukemia, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST)

5. what is the philadelphia chromosome?

portion of chromosome 9 & 22 recombine leading to fusion between tyrosine kinase and serine/thronine kinase -- imatinib increases sruvival up to 80%

6. What are the side effects of imatinib?

edema, CHF, immune suppression, bleeding with death of GIST tumors

7. What are the contraindications of imatinib?

can cause fetal damage, contraindicate in pregnant women

8. What are the drug-drug interactions of imatinib?

metabolized in CYP-3A4, avoid grapefruit & other drugs inhibit or induce CYP3A4

9. What is the process of respiration designed to do?

provide a continuous oxygen supply to bodily tissues and remove gaseous waste products

10. What are the normal values of CO2 in the blood?

36-44 mmHg