Current Drug Safety - Volume 14, Issue 2, 2019

Background: Recently, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved sodium/ glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. However, regarding adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of SGLT2 inhibitors in large group of population, very less information is available. Thus, we have tried to find out the risk profile of SGLT2 inhibitors. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,042 studies have been p Read More

Background: Idiosyncratic Drug Induced Liver Injury (DILI) is a rare adverse event to drugs that occasionally leads to severe liver damage, being one of the leading causes of Acute Liver Failure (ALF) in developed countries. DILI is largely a diagnosis of exclusion. Discussion and Conclusion: Careful history of drug taking and ruling out other competing etiologies is mandatory given that DILI can present with an extremely vari Read More

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia and eclampsia are conditions that cause significant perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Objective: This is a systematic review of the current evidence examining the relationship between both depression and antidepressants on pregnancy-related hypertensive conditions. Methods: In accordance with the Preferre Read More

Background: Some studies have linked the use of paracetamol (PAR) with adverse effects like wheezing, exacerbation of asthma symptoms and other respiratory problems. Other studies are inconclusive or deny this correlation. This makes the association between PAR and airway hypersensitivity very controversial and still under debate. Objective: This work investigated if chronic treatment with PAR in rats could dir Read More

Background: Advances in the clinical management of diseases have been accompanied by increasing complexity of treatment regimens. The complexity of medication regimen is of concern for patients as well as doctors as it may adversely affect patient compliance and treatment outcomes. It may result in medication errors, increased utilization of health resources owing to a reduction in treatment effectiveness, a Read More

Background: Radiocontrast media are used extensively nowadays to visualize internal organs. Currently, non-ionic iodinated contrast media are used which are generally considered to be safe but some adverse reactions have been reported. Thus, the present study was carried out to analyze the nature and incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to radiographic contrast media in a teaching hospital. Methods: An observati Read More

Background: Several botanical species are poisonous and are used for medicinal purposes in traditional medicine. In fact, a relationship between toxicity and phytotherapeutic potential of medicinal plants exists. Objective: Until now, there is no ethnopharmacological indices evaluating mathematically the toxic property of any medicinal plant used traditionally. Consequently, it is important to find this link through the esta Read More

Background: The objective of this survey was to describe the clinical monitoring practically used after intravenous, subcutaneous or neuraxial (epidural or intrathecal) administration of morphine. Methods: It was a descriptive, retrospective, multicenter (10 hospitals) survey based on the medical charts’ analysis, which evaluated the postoperative clinical monitoring after morphine administration. Results: Morphine was del Read More

Background: Either direct or indirect tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blockers are usually used to treat psoriatic arthritis (PA), but their use can increase susceptibility to infectious diseases. Case Presentation: We report a rare case of double skin-knee wound and lung non-tubercular infection in a patient with PA under TNF-alpha blockers therapy. About 1 year after the beginning of adalimumab, a 48-year-old smoker suffering Read More

Introduction: Imatinib is the treatment of choice in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). Clinical tolerance of imatinib is excellent except for the common adverse drug reaction (ADR). Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS syndrome) is a severe, potentially life-threatening drug-induced hypersensitivity reaction, characterized by cutaneous eruptions, fever, d Read More

Background: Atypical antipsychotics, unlike traditional antipsychotics, are considered to have limited cardiovascular side effects, but recent evidence drew attention to potential cardiac rhythm disturbances during aripiprazole therapy. Prolonged QT-interval and increased heart rate were described during treatment with therapeutic doses of aripiprazole, and some reports have even shown relevant arrhythmias, such as ve Read More

Background: Drug hypersensitivity reactions to infliximab have been reported in pediatric patients. At times, these patients may need infliximab administration in spite of hypersensitivity. However, only a few reports of desensitization protocols are available in the literature in pediatric patients. Case Report: We report a case of immediate hypersensitivity reaction to intravenous infliximab in a 13-year-old child suffering f Read More

Background: Metronidazole, a widely used antibacterial and antiprotozoal drug, is often the drug of choice in amoebic liver abscess. The drug, otherwise safe, can cause serious central nervous disturbances in rare circumstances. Case Report: Here, we report a case of cerebellar dysfunction in the form of slurring of speech and episodes of falls, in an elderly male following a three-week course of metronidazole th Read More

Background: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the first-line treatments for various psychiatric disorders. SSRIs offer an improved side effect profile compared to older treatments, which improves patients’ adherence and quality of life. Case Report: Here we discuss a case of an uncommon, but a distressing side effect of citalopram. A 76-year old woman was referred to the psychiatry clinic for bizarre behavior. T Read More