Therapeutic drug monitoring
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Switching From Intermittent to Continuous Infusion of Vancomycin in Critically Ill Patients: Toward a More Robust Exposure.
To increase target attainment rates, switching the mode of administration from intermittent (InI) to continuous infusion (CoI) has been proposed. In this study, target attainment rates and interpatient variation in exposure were compared between vancomycin InI- and CoI-treated critically ill patients. ⋯ Switching from intermittent to continuous infusion of vancomycin in a critically ill population provided higher target attainment rates and a more robust drug exposure. Furthermore, continuous infusion yielded stronger concentration-AUC correlations facilitating a single sample therapeutic drug monitoring strategy with AUC targets. A switch to continuous infusion may therefore improve clinical outcomes in vancomycin-treated critically ill patients.
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New psychoactive substances (NPSs) are substitutes for classical drugs of abuse and there are now compounds available from all groups of classical drugs of abuse. During 2014, the number of synthetic cathinones increased dramatically and, together with phenylethylamines, they dominate the NPS markets in the European Union. In total, 31 cathinones and 9 phenylethylamines were encountered in 2014. The aim of this article was to summarize the existing knowledge about the basic pharmacology, metabolism, and human toxicology of relevant synthetic cathinones and phenylethylamines. Compared with existing reviews, we have also compiled the existing case reports from both fatal and nonfatal intoxications. ⋯ The acute and chronic toxicity of many NPSs is unknown or very sparsely investigated. There is a need for evidence-based-treatment recommendations for acute intoxications and a demand for new strategies to analyze these compounds in clinical and forensic cases.
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV-coinfected patients respond worse to dual therapy with ribavirin (RBV)/peginterferon compared with HCV-monoinfected patients. Several trials found that lower RBV plasma concentrations are associated with impaired virological response rates. The aim of this study was to determine RBV plasma concentrations in a cohort of HCV-monoinfected and HCV/HIV-coinfected patients. Our hypothesis is that HCV/HIV-coinfected patients have lower RBV plasma concentrations, which may in part explain their inferior response to dual therapy. ⋯ HIV/HCV-coinfected patients yield significantly lower plasma concentrations of RBV than HCV-monoinfected patients. This puts them at an increased risk of not achieving sustained virological response.
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Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are approved for several indications for prophylaxis of thromboembolism at fixed oral doses. The analysis of NOAC activity/concentration may be required in special patient populations. Heptest coagulation assay determines both factor Xa and thrombin inhibitors. The objective of investigations is to analyze the effects of both groups of NOACs on this assay. ⋯ The objective of the study was achieved by demonstrating a high correlation of the Heptest-STAT coagulation assay with chromogenic assays for factor Xa inhibiting NOACs and acceptably good correlation with thrombin inhibiting NOACs in plasma samples of patients on treatment.