Dexamethasone dosing for prevention of acute chemotherapy‐induced vomiting in pediatric patients: A systematic review

A systematic review was undertaken to describe dexamethasone doses studied for chemotherapy-induced vomiting (CIV) prophylaxis in pediatric patients and their effects on achieving complete acute CIV control. No dose-finding studies were identified. However, 16 studies assessing pediatric patients who received dexamethasone were included and classified according to the emetogenicity of chemotherapy administered. Eight different total daily dexamethasone doses were administered to patients on day 1 of highly emetogenic chemotherapy: three in conjunction with aprepitant/fosaprepitant plus a 5HT₃ antagonist and five in conjunction with a 5HT₃ antagonist. Five different total daily dexamethasone doses were administered in conjunction with a 5HT₃ antagonist to patients on day 1 of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Due to the heterogeneity of studies identified, meta-analysis was not possible. The optimal dexamethasone dose to control acute CIV and to minimize harms in pediatric patients remains uncertain. This is a key area for future research.