Current Drug Safety - Volume 5, Issue 3, 2010

As is the case for most drugs, vigabatrin (VGB) has major advantages and also has significant adverse effects. However, the situation for VGB is somewhat unusual. The drug was prescribed for many years before Eke et al. [1] reported peripheral visual field defects (VFDs) in three adult patients. Other adverse effects [2], including psychiatric changes and transient MRI abnormalities have been reported but will not be dis Read More

Purpose: This study was designed to delineate the relative frequency of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 polymorphisms known to affect warfarin response in the highly heterogeneous Israeli population. Methods: Frequencies of CYP2C9 allelic variants CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3 and of VKORC1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (snps)- 1639G>A and D36Y were determined in genomic DNA of 438 healthy unrelated Israeli volunteers of Jewish, Druz Read More

This study analyzes prospectively the antibiotic prescription habits in terms of appropriateness of use and cost pattern effects in the paediatric wards of two different university hospital patient set-ups. Data on demographics, discharge diagnosis, antibiotic utilization and costs were collected prospectively from the children's individual electronic charts at Rambam Health Care Campus (R) and Kaplan Medical Centre (K) in Israe Read More

Mortality rates across matched cohorts of hospitalized patients treated with IM olanzapine, haloperidol, and/or ziprasidone in a hospital database were compared. Using propensity score matching, matched cohorts of IM olanzapine- (N=2,984) and IM haloperidol-treated patients (N=2,984) and IM olanzapine- (N=2,876) and IM ziprasidone-treated patients (N=2,876) were obtained. The study outcome was in-hospital death within Read More

Antibiotics are the therapeutic agents most often associated with hepatotoxicity. However, this is mainly due to the widespread prescription of these drugs. The relative risk of antibiotic-related hepatotoxicity is low. Causality assessment of suspected drug-induced liver injury (DILI) related to antibiotics can be difficult, particularly because some cases occur long after the drug has been stopped. Among the penicillins, amoxicilli Read More

Background: Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is the most effective treatment to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Many older patients are not prescribed OAC. Objective: To explore which co-morbid conditions in older patients with AF have been associated with under-treatment with OAC, or were used as exclusion criteria for trials, or have been associated with increased risk of bleeding. Methods: A Pubmed search w Read More

Cardiovascular disease remains the primary cause of mortality for patients with type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin resistance. The thiazolidinediones (TZDs), also known as glitazones, are one of the pharmacological approaches to improve insulin sensitivity. At present, there are two available TZDs: pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. The common target of action for TZDs is the nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activat Read More

The introduction of long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) was considered a major advance in bronchodilator therapy with evidence that their use led to improved lung function and quality of life. However, the use of LABAs has raised safety concerns, such as their potential to provoke severe asthma exacerbations (SAEs) and death. This systematic review of major findings discusses the safety controversy surrounding LABA therapy an Read More

Dronedarone is an oral Class III antiarrhythmic agent which was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in nonpermanent atrial fibrillation. Structurally similar to amiodarone, dronedarone is a benzofuran derivative but it lacks the iodine moiety attached to amiodarone. Based upon the investigational clinical trials to date, it appears that dronedarone has an established efficacy when comp Read More

Domperidone is a prokinetic agent widely prescribed in adults and children with gastrointestinal disorders. Recently several Regulatory Agencies published safety information on the risk of long QT syndrome associated with the use of domperidone. We conducted a literature review using PubMed (1966 - Jan 2010) with the aim to locate articles on ventricular arrhytmias, Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD), long QT syndrome and Read More

Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are increasingly employed in the treatment of depression. Adjunctive aripiprizole and olanzapine/fluoxetine combination (OFC) have been approved in the US in the treatment of depression. Quetiapine also appears to be poised for an FDA approval as an adjunctive treatment for resistant depression. Historically, first generation antipsychotics were thought to carry an e Read More

In the treatment of pain management, physicians employ a variety of drugs, ranging from low-impact to highly potent, and to maximize patient health, urine toxicology analyses can significantly improve the delivery of pain treatment. Drugs such as opioids that are used for pain management are peculiar in that they provide effective pain relief and have a high risk of addiction. The use of illicit drugs in the genera Read More

Due to an oversight on the part of the author, incorrect author's name (Biondi Elisa) was published in the article entitled “Statin-Like Drugs for the Treatment of Brain Cholesterol Loss in Alzheimer's Disease”, in Current Drug Safety, 2007, Vol. 2(3), pp. 173-176. PMID: 18690964. [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]. The correct author's name is Elisa Biondi.