Textbook and Publication Errata

Errors reported in publications

From the February 24, 1999 Issue

The CEREBYX (fosphenytoin) monograph found in Intravenous Medications, by Gahart and Nazareno (St. Louis. Mosby 1999), incorrectly expresses the phenytoin equivalent amount in the manufacturer's vial as 75 mg PE/mL instead of 50 mg PE/mL. Also, the rate of administration for elderly and pediatric patients is ambiguously stated. For example, it states that the rate should not exceed "37.5 mg PE/minute (equivalent to 25 mg/min of phenytoin)." Since both are expressed in terms of phenytoin equivalents, it is impossible to know which figure is actually the phenytoin equivalent amount that should be infused. This monograph needs to be corrected immediately wherever the book may be in use within your institution. This is one of many examples of confusion caused by the unconventional "PE" method of dosing fosphenytoin.