Prevention of phlebitis due to vinorelbine with Meibao combined with dexamethasone

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Meibao combined with dexamethasone for the prevention of phlebitis due to vinorelbine. Methods A total of 92 patients administered with vinorelbine were divided randomly into test group and control group. Patients in the control group were intravenously administered with dexamethasone before and after intravenous administration of vinorelbine. Patients in the test group, however, received additional application of Meibao on the skin along the veins. The incidences of local tissue reaction and phlebitis in both groups were observed. Results The incidence of local tissue reaction and phlebitis in the test group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P 0.01). Conclusion Combination of Meibao and dexamethasone, which can significantly decrease the incidence of phlebitis due to vinorelbine, delay the reaction time, and attenuate the severity, can be applied widely in basic hospitals.