Clinical therapeutics
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Currently available anticoagulants utilized for venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment and prevention and stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have proven effectiveness but are not optimally utilized because of barriers such as the need for subcutaneous administration and requisite routine laboratory monitoring. Rivaroxaban, a novel oral Xa inhibitor, is an alternative to standard therapies utilized for VTE prevention after elective orthopedic surgery, primary and secondary stroke prevention in nonvalvular AF, VTE treatment after an acute VTE event, and secondary prevention after the acute coronary syndromes (ACS). ⋯ Based on the findings of the studies reported in this review, rivaroxaban is an effective option for the prevention of VTE after orthopedic surgery, stroke prevention for nonvalvular AF, and treatment of VTE. At this time, rivaroxaban cannot be recommended for secondary risk reduction after ACS because of the increased bleeding risk.
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Clinical therapeutics · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyComparison of antiplatelet efficacy and tolerability of clopidogrel napadisilate with clopidogrel bisulfate in coronary artery disease patients after percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase IV, noninferiority trial.
Clopidogrel bisulfate, a potent antiplatelet agent, has a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of atherothrombotic disease. Clopidogrel napadisilate, a different salt preparation of clopidogrel, has been developed and approved in Korea and several European countries. Recent studies have suggested that clopidogrel napadisilate might have improved stability and comparable bioequivalence to clopidogrel bisulfate. However, these 2 clopidogrel preparations have not been compared in terms of efficacy and tolerability in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ⋯ In this study of CAD Korean patients who have undergone PCI, the antiplatelet efficacy of clopidogrel napadisilate was noninferior to that of clopidogrel bisulfate after 4 weeks of maintenance treatment. No statistically significant difference was found in tolerability between the 2 treatment groups.
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of acetaminophen 1000 mg versus acetaminophen 650 mg for the treatment of postsurgical dental pain.
Although acetaminophen is one of the oldest and most widely used of all analgesic drugs, the incremental benefit of the 1000-mg dose compared with the 650-mg dose has been questioned. ⋯ Acetaminophen 1000 mg provided clinically meaningful and statistically significantly greater efficacy in treating postsurgical dental pain compared with acetaminophen 650 mg and placebo. The outcomes of this study are limited to the single-dose design of this study. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01115673.
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2012
Letter Comparative StudyOutcomes of extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam: a retrospective analysis of critically ill patients.
Studies evaluating the outcomes of an extended-infusion (EI) piperacillin-tazobactam dosing strategy in specific cohorts of critically ill patients are lacking. A retrospective, pre-implementation and post-implementation study of 148 critically ill patients was conducted to compare EI and traditional infusion piperacillin-tazobactam. In this retrospective study, the EI piperacillin-tazobactam dosing strategy was associated with improved 30-day mortality. EI piperacillin-tazobactam may be an effective alternative to TI of piperacillin-tazobactam among critically ill patients treated for suspected gram-negative infections.