Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · Apr 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialThree-week combination treatment with ACTH + magnesium sulfate versus ACTH monotherapy for infantile spasms: a 24-week, randomized, open-label, follow-up study in China.
Infantile spasms (IS) is an age-specific and severe epileptic encephalopathy that occurs in infancy and early childhood and is usually refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) has been the treatment of choice for IS, but ACTH use has been associated with infection and hypertension. Magnesium ion is an N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-noncompetitive antagonist that might inhibit NMDA activity and has antiepileptic and neuroprotective effects. ⋯ In this study in infants with IS, the proportions of patients who were seizure free from 4 to 24 weeks were significantly greater in the ACTH + MgSO(4) group compared with the ACTH monotherapy group. Personal-social neurodevelopment was significantly improved from baseline in the group that received combination treatment. Both treatments were generally well tolerated. International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial no. ISRCTN 78654111.
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Clinical therapeutics · Apr 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialRationale and design of the PREVENT-HIT study: a randomized, open-label pilot study to compare desirudin and argatroban in patients with suspected heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with or without thrombosis.
Desirudin, a bivalent direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI), is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis, which may lead to pulmonary embolism, in patients undergoing elective hip replacement surgery. It became available in the United States in March 2010. ⋯ The results from the PREVENT-HIT study should enhance understanding of the comparative clinical and economic utility of desirudin and argatroban in patients with HIT with or without thrombosis. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00787332.
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Clinical therapeutics · Apr 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyPropofol/dexmedetomidine and propofol/ketamine combinations for anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing transcatheter atrial septal defect closure: a prospective randomized study.
Children undergoing cardiac catheterization usually need general anesthesia or deep sedation. ⋯ In this small study, both dexmedetomidine and ketamine in combination with propofol were well tolerated in these pediatric patients who required ASD closure. The recovery period was significantly shorter in the dexmedetomidine group.
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Clinical therapeutics · Apr 2010
ReviewOnset of relief of symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease: post hoc analysis of two previously published studies comparing pantoprazole 20 mg once daily with nizatidine or ranitidine 150 mg twice daily.
Systematic assessments of the onset of symptom relief in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are lacking. ⋯ In this post hoc reanalysis of data from 2 previously published clinical trials, use of pantoprazole 20 mg once daily was associated with effective early relief from heartburn and acid regurgitation among these patients with GERD and NERD; relief occurred as fast as and, in some cases, even faster than that seen with nizatidine or ranitidine.