Current drug safety最新文献

Background: In recent years, transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) have gained popularity as a non-invasive, patient-friendly medication delivery method.

Objective: This review article examines the latest transdermal medication delivery developments and breakthroughs. The review begins with a brief summary of transdermal medication administration, stressing the skin's barrier role and drug permeation methods. Novel materials and methods improve drug solubility, stability, and skin permeability in formulation technologies.

Methods: A literature review of the most recent innovations in TDDS, such as nano-based delivery systems, microneedles, and smart patches, was conducted. Major challenges of drug solubility, stability, and skin permeability were carefully discussed, along with the transdermal patch designs of new therapeutic applications in pain management, cardiovascular diseases, and hormone therapy.

Results: Transdermal medication delivery difficulties may be overcome via nano-based drug delivery systems, microneedle arrays, and smart patches. Furthermore, the paper discusses current advances in transdermal patch design for therapeutic applications, highlighting effective instances in pain management, cardiovascular illness, and hormone therapy.

Conclusion: The article examines transdermal medication delivery regulations, safety, and patient compliance in addition to technological advances. The complete study in this review seeks to help academics, doctors, and pharmaceutical professionals understand transdermal drug delivery and its future. Understanding recent advances in this field can help stakeholders design more effective and patient-friendly transdermal drug delivery systems, enhancing treatment outcomes and patient well-being.

This review addresses the significant part pharmacological treatment plays in treating gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), therefore enhancing the results for mother and child. Talking about the frequency and relevance of GDM would help to underline the need for good management. The pathophysiology presents a thorough examination of the fundamental processes, clarifying how hormonal changes seen during pregnancy lead to insulin resistance and raised blood sugar levels. The pharmacological treatment approaches for GDM, including insulin treatment and oral hypoglycemic medications, are investigated in this paper. Taking into consideration the hazards of generating birth deformities and safety data, the paper also evaluates the safety of the drugs in diabetes pregnancy in order to offer best treatment results. Moreover, the function of pharmacists in GDM highlights their significance in patient education, ensuring adherence to medication and overseeing therapy in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams. Furthermore, the impact of pharmaceutical care on maternal and neonatal outcomes demonstrates how pharmaceutical interventions can effectively reduce complications like preeclampsia and neonatal hypoglycemia, highlighting the importance of personalized medication management. Finally, the challenges and future directions of GDM address the difficulties in pharmaceutical care, including patient compliance, healthcare access and emerging treatment methods, calling for more research and policy initiatives to improve pharmaceutical care frameworks and enhance health outcomes for both mothers and infants. This comprehensive review highlights the need for integrated pharmaceutical care in managing GDM and its potential to improve health outcomes for both mothers and infants.

Background: Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is a commonly used antibiotic for the treatment of several infections, such as urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and in certain cases, septic arthritis. Rhabdomyolysis (RM) is very rare and less than 20 cases have been reported, so far, in the literature, in particular in immunocompromised patients. Here, we report a case of TMP-SMX-induced RM in an immunocompetent patient, adding to the limited data on this association.

Case presentation: A 53-year-old male patient with no prior medical history presented with septic arthritis and was initiated on TMP-SMX therapy. Within days, he developed muscle pain and weakness with laboratory tests revealing markedly elevated Creatine Kinase (CK) levels, consistent with rhabdomyolysis. Following the discontinuation of TMP-SMX, the patient's CK levels gradually decreased, and his symptoms resolved without further intervention.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the sixth reported case of TMP-SMX-associated rhabdomyolysis in an immunocompetent patient. This case highlights the need for clinicians to consider the potential for rhabdomyolysis in patients receiving TMP-SMX, regardless of their immune status, and to recognize that prompt withdrawal of the drug is critical for patient recovery.

Background: Most studies have focused on the impact of medication reconciliation on one of the points of hospital admission or discharge. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of medication reconciliation on medication safety in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure at both admission and discharge.

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, cohort study conducted in a tertiary care cardiovascular hospital from December 2022 to May 2023 on patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure. Patients were considered eligible if they were taking at least five chronic medications prior to hospital admission. Medication reconciliation was carried out for the study patients by a clinical pharmacy team both at admission and discharge. Additionally, the study patients also received comprehensive discharge counseling as well as post-discharge follow-up and monitoring.

Results: Medication reconciliation was applied for 129 patients at admission and 118 at discharge. The mean time needed for medication reconciliation presses was 32 min per patient at admission and 22 min at discharge. Unintentional medication discrepancies were relatively common at both admission and discharge, but compared to admission, discrepancies were less frequent at discharge (178 versus 72). Based on the consensus review, about 30% of identified errors detected at both admission and discharge were judged to have the potential to cause moderate to severe harm to the patient. Most of the clinical pharmacists' recommendations on unintended discrepancies were accepted by physicians and resulted in changes in medication orders (more than 80%). Further, the majority of the participants were 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with the clinical pharmacy services provided to them during hospitalization and after hospital discharge (89.90%).

Conclusion: Our results demonstrated the vulnerability of heart failure patients to medication discrepancies at both admission and discharge. Thus, implementing a comprehensive medication reconciliation by clinical pharmacists could be beneficial for enhancing medication safety in these patients.

Background: There are concerns about indiscriminate prescriptions and the inappropriate use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) without any clear indications, especially among noncritically hospitalized patients.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize PPI prescriptions among non-critically hospitalized patients in a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the King Abdulaziz University Hospital between June and August 2021. The data of adult patients who received PPIs on hospital admission in the medical and surgical wards were collected and analyzed for appropriateness based on the current international guidelines and recommendations.

Results: A total of 174 patient records were included in this study. The proportion of patients with appropriate and inappropriate PPI prescriptions was 67.24% (n=117) and 32.76% (n=57), respectively. Female patients (risk=50.00%, 95% CI: 36.89-63.11, p<0.001) were more likely to receive an inappropriate PPI prescription than their male counterparts (risk=33.33%, 95% CI: 24.56-43.43, p<0.001). Intravenous omeprazole 40 mg once daily was the most frequently prescribed PPI (n=62). The hospital length of stay differed significantly between the groups of patients who received appropriate and inappropriate PPIs (24.56 ± 47.14 vs. 13.50 ± 13.84; t=2.34, 95% CI: 1.72-20.4; p=0.02). However, there was no significant difference in the total therapy duration in both the groups (3.76 ± 2.50 vs. 4.75 ± 3.32, t=-1.62, 95%CI: -1.79-0.17; p=0.11).

Conclusion: The findings show a high trend of inappropriate PPI prescriptions. Hence, educational programs are recommended to encourage healthcare professionals to stick to the approved guidelines when prescribing PPIs.

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are promising immunotherapies for cancer treatment designed to engage both tumour and immune cells. However, their use is associated with potential toxicities, including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxicity, and on-target, off-tumour toxicity. CRS, characterized by cytokine release, is the most common, potentially life-threatening toxicity. Neurotoxicity presents as neurological symptoms and on-target, off-tumour toxicity damages healthy cells. Incidence and severity vary based on BsAb type, dose, patient factors, and tumor characteristics. For this study, articles pertaining to BsAb toxicity were searched on PubMed. Moreover, the management involves early recognition, dose modification, supportive care, and, in severe cases, immunosuppressive therapy or treatment discontinuation. Clinicians must carefully assess risks and benefits, considering individual patient profiles. Close monitoring and multidisciplinary collaboration are crucial for effective BsAb therapy. All in all, while toxicity is a concern, with vigilant management, BsAbs remain a valuable cancer treatment option.

Background: The concomitant use of herbal remedies in conjunction with conventional cardiac medications has increased significantly in recent years, primarily due to improvements in the quality standards of herbal medicines and the pervasive belief that natural products pose no harm to the human body. Contrary to this belief, multiple phytoconstituents found in herbal products have the potential to interact with conventional cardiac drugs, potentially resulting in severe adverse effects.

Objective: This review aimed to elucidate the intricacies of these interactions highlighting herbal medications that interact with established pharmaceuticals used for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Moreover, the review draws attention to safety concerns and preventative steps that should be taken by patients and medical professionals. This endeavor is vital to avert adverse events stemming from such interactions.

Methods: Our approach entailed a comprehensive literature review employing keywords such as "mechanisms of herb-drug interactions," "herbal medications," and "cardiovascular disorders". The drugs presented in this review were selected based on their popularity among the general population, frequency of their employability, and potential to manifest drug interactions. We sourced pertinent information from reputable databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Elsevier.

Results: Heart or blood vessel disorders are referred to as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which include conditions such as heart failure, stroke, hypertensive heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. The primary underlying factor for the development of CVDs is dyslipidemia, which can be treated with classical antihyperlipidemic drugs such as statins, ezetimibe, and PCSK9-inhibitors. The use of herbal remedies is often unregulated, and there is a lack of scientific evidence supporting their use, particularly in the management of heart failure. Patients may not disclose their use of herbal remedies to health care practitioners, which can result in potential harm.

Conclusion: Uncontrolled dyslipidemia leads to hypercholesterolemia, which can result in atherosclerotic plaques and blocked arteries and veins. Herbal remedies and botanical products are also used to prevent or treat illnesses, and many prescription pharmaceuticals are made from plant compounds. Herbal remedies are often preferred because of the belief that they are safe and have no potential to cause harm. However, there is insufficient scientific data to support the use of herbal remedies, especially when treating heart disease. Using herbal remedies in conjunction with medicinal pharmaceuticals may result in unfavorable effects.

Introduction: Methimazole is an antithyroid drug known to cause hematological toxicity, including agranulocytosis and, very rarely, pancytopenia. We herein present a case of a patient with Graves' Disease (GD) who developed methimazole-induced pancytopenia.

Case report: A 53-year-old Peruvian woman with GD, initially treated with methimazole 20 mg BID, experienced odynophagia, fever, and malaise after 37 days of treatment. The initial diagnosis was agranulocytosis, leading to the discontinuation of methimazole and initiation of antibiotics. Due to persistent neutropenia, a Granulocyte Colony-stimulating Factor (G-CSF) was administered. Eight days later, she developed pancytopenia and was managed with hematopoietic agents and platelet transfusions. The patient recovered with normalization of the blood count, eliminating the need for Bone Marrow (BM) examination. Radioiodine therapy was chosen as the definitive treatment, resulting in hypothyroidism. Currently, the patient is thyroidal and hematologically stable.

Conclusion: Methimazole-induced pancytopenia is a rare and serious complication; however, with appropriate treatment, complete recovery can be achieved.

Background: Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are unexpected reactions to a medicine administered in the correct manner and at the proper dosage. Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms syndrome (DRESS syndrome) is a Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reaction (SCAR) type of ADR with complicated clinical features involving several organ systems of the body; frequently involved organs are the liver, kidney, lungs, and other organs. Prompt recognition and correct diagnosis, followed by withdrawal of the causative agent, can promote appropriate treatment, accelerate recovery, and reduce the related morbidity and mortality.

Case presentation: We have, herein, presented a case of a 42-year-old female with a history of leflunomide intake for plantar fasciitis. The patient subsequently developed fever, gastrointestinal tract disturbance, facial edema, liver injury, skin rash, hematologic abnormalities (eosinophilia), hepatosplenomegaly, and lymph node enlargement. The probability of leflunomide-induced DRESS syndrome was rated as "definite", with with a score of eight graded by RegiSCAR. The suspected causative agent was withdrawn, and the patient was managed symptomatically. Following her management and discharge, she again encountered similar complaints after administration of the cefuroxime tablet. The causality assessment of the reactions was done using the WHOUMC scale and Naranjo's assessment scale, and a "probable" reaction was found for both drugs.

Conclusion: The presented case contributes to the existing global literature regarding exceptional clinical presentations. Leflunomide and cefuroxime drugs have the potential to cause DRESS syndrome. Thus, they should be handled cautiously, and if such a reaction occurs, it should be reported to the responsible authorities.