Actigall
ursodiol
(er-soe-dye-ole) ursodiol,Actigall
(trade name),Urso 250
(trade name),Urso
(trade name),Urso DS
(trade name),Urso Forte
(trade name)Classification
Therapeutic: gallstone dissolution agentsIndications
Action
Therapeutic effects
Pharmacokinetics
Time/action profile
ROUTE | ONSET | PEAK | DURATION |
---|---|---|---|
PO | unknown | unknown | unknown |
Contraindications/Precautions
Adverse Reactions/Side Effects
Central nervous system
- anxiety
- depression
- fatigue
- headache
- sleep disorder
Dermatologic
- hair thinning
- pruritus
- rash
Gastrointestinal
- abdominal/biliary pain
- constipation
- diarrhea
- flatulence
- jaundice
- ↑ liver enzymes
- nausea
- stomatitis
- vomiting
Neurologic
- arthralgias
- myalgia
Respiratory
- cough
- rhinitis
Interactions
Drug-Drug interaction
Cholestyramine, colestipol, and aluminum-containing antacids may ↓ absorption.Estrogens may ↓ its effectiveness.Route/Dosage
Availability (generic available)
Nursing implications
Nursing assessment
- Monitor abdominal pain prior to and periodically during therapy.
- Monitor ultrasonograms at 6 mo intervals during the first year of therapy.
- Lab Test Considerations: Monitor liver function tests (GGT, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT) and bilirubin levels every mo for three mo and every six mo thereafter. If increase to clinically significant levels, consider discontinuation of therapy.
Potential Nursing Diagnoses
Acute pain (Indications)Implementation
- Administer with food. Tablets may be broken in half and swallowed with water. To minimize the bitter taste, advise patient to swallow the half-tablet quickly without chewing. Half-tablets should be stored separately for up to 28 days.
Patient/Family Teaching
- Instruct patient to take ursodiol as directed.
- Advise patient to avoid aluminum-containing antacids during therapy; may impair absorption.
Evaluation/Desired Outcomes
- Dissolution and reduction in formation of gallstones. May take several mo of therapy and complete dissolution may not occur. Stone recurrence may occur after dissolution.
- ↓ progression of liver disease and improvement in liver function tests.
Actigall®
A drug used to dissolve gallstones as an alternative to cholecystectomy in patients with radiolucent, noncalcified gallstones ≤ 20 mm in diameter, and to prevent gallstone development in patients undergoing rapid weight loss.Contraindications Actigall does not dissolve calcified cholesterol stones, radiopaque stones, or radiolucent bile pigment stones. It is useless for acute cholecystitis, cholangitis, biliary obstruction, gallstone pancreatitis, or biliary-gastrointestinal fistula.