ISOTRETINOIN (ACCUTANE) Nursing Considerations

What is the generic name?

ISOTRETINOIN

What is the Trade Name for ISOTRETINOIN?

ACCUTANE

What are the Indications for ISOTRETINOIN?

• INDICATIONS AND USAGE Severe Recalcitrant Nodular Acne Accutane is indicated for the treatment of severe recalcitrant nodular acne. Nodules are inflammatory lesions with a diameter of 5 mm or greater. The nodules may become suppurative or hemorrhagic. ‚ÄúSevere,‚Äù by definition, 2 means ‚Äúmany‚Äù as opposed to ‚Äúfew or several‚Äù nodules. Because of significant adverse effects associated with its use, Accutane should be reserved for patients with severe nodular acne who are unresponsive to conventional therapy, including systemic antibiotics. In addition, Accutane is indicated only for those patients who are not pregnant, because Accutane can cause severe birth defects (see Boxed CONTRAINDICATIONS AND WARNING S ). A single course of therapy for 15 to 20 weeks has been shown to result in complete and prolonged remission of disease in many patients. 1,3,4 If a second course of therapy is needed, it should not be initiated until at least 8 weeks after completion of the first course, because experience has shown that patients may continue to improve while off Accutane. The optimal interval before retreatment has not been defined for patients who have not completed skeletal growth (see WARNINGS: Skeletal: Bone Mineral Density, Hyperostosis, Premature Epiphyseal Closure ).

References: https://open.fda.gov/