Procrit
Meaning of Procrit: This injectable medication stimulates red blood cell production and is sold under the brand name Procrit, with epoetin alfa as its generic name.
Definition of Procrit
Procrit is a brand name for epoetin alfa, a laboratory made version of erythropoietin, a hormone the kidneys normally produce to stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells. By supplying additional erythropoietin activity, Procrit encourages the bone marrow to increase red blood cell production.
Procrit is used to treat anemia, a shortage of red blood cells, arising in certain situations, including chronic kidney disease and some cases of anemia related to chemotherapy, given by injection on a schedule determined by a person's blood counts and clinical situation. It does not treat anemia caused by iron deficiency or active bleeding on its own.
Because Procrit works by stimulating red blood cell production rather than replacing blood directly, its effect develops gradually over days to weeks rather than immediately, and blood counts are monitored during treatment to guide dosing and help identify any complications.
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Used in a sentence
Procrit was started to help manage the patient's anemia related to chronic kidney disease.
Good to know
Procrit is generally used for anemia related to chronic kidney disease or certain cancer treatments rather than for anemia from iron deficiency or acute blood loss, which are addressed through other approaches.