Abnormal thallium stress test or pulmonary function tests. Use in either men or women not practicing effective contraception. Use of medications known to be nephrotoxic or hepatotoxic may further increase toxicity to the kidney and liver caused by aldesleukin. May increase the risk of allograft rejection in transplant clients. Safety and efficacy have not been established in children less than 18 years of age.
Side effects are frequent, often serious, and sometimes fatal.
Most clients will experience fever, chills, rigors, pruritus, and GI side effects. Incidence of side effects is greater in PS 1 clients than in PS 0 clients. This results in a drop in mean arterial BP within 2-12 hr after the start of treatment and reduced organ perfusion that may be severe and result in death. CLS causes hypotension, hypoperfusion, and extravasation that leads to edema and effusion. CLS may be associated with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, MI angina, respiratory insufficiency requiring intubation, GI bleeding or infarction, renal insufficiency, and changes in mental status.