Pharmacotherapy
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect of acetaminophen on the international normalized ratio in patients stabilized on warfarin therapy.
To determine whether an interaction exists between acetaminophen and warfarin that alters the international normalized ratio (INR). ⋯ These findings support the existence of a clinically significant interaction between warfarin and daily use of acetaminophen 2-4 g, necessitating close monitoring of patients who receive this drug combination. Whether this interaction occurs when acetaminophen is taken in lower doses or is used sporadically requires further study.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Low-dose botulinum toxin type A for the treatment of refractory piriformis syndrome.
To evaluate the efficacy of a single, low-dose injection of botulinum toxin type A in relieving pain in Korean patients with piriformis syndrome resistant to conventional therapy, and to assess the drug's influence on these patients' quality of life. ⋯ A low dose of botulinum toxin type A relieved pain and improved quality of life in patients with refractory piriformis syndrome.
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Case Reports
Severe lactic acidosis associated with linezolid use in a patient with the mitochondrial DNA A2706G polymorphism.
Linezolid, an oxazolidinone antimicrobial, exerts its effect by binding to bacterial 23S ribosomal RNA, preventing the formation of the initiation complex. Its use is associated with reversible hyperlactatemia and lactic acidosis, and inhibition of mitochondrial protein synthesis may be the mechanism underlying this adverse effect. ⋯ This patient was found to have the mitochondrial DNA polymorphism A2706G, a variation previously suggested to predispose individuals to linezolid-associated lactic acidosis. In the future, increased understanding of the mitochondrial genome and its associated polymorphisms may allow us to identify patients at risk for adverse effects that were previously classified as idiosyncratic.
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To determine the rates of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits during cardioselective and nonselective beta-blocker therapy in patients with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ⋯ In patients with asthma with or without COPD, both cardioselective and nonselective beta-blocker use increased hospitalizations and ED visits compared with controls. Thus, these patients should receive beta-blocker therapy only if their cardiac risk exceeds their pulmonary risk and if they have concomitant cardiac disease for which beta-blockers decrease mortality, such as previous acute myocardial infarction or chronic heart failure. In patients with COPD only, cardioselective beta-blockers slightly increased the risk of ED visits but reduced the risk of hospitalizations. Nonselective beta-blocker therapy in these patients reduced the rate of ED visits and total visits. These findings suggest a larger safety margin with beta-blocker therapy in patients with COPD only than in those with asthma with or without COPD.
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Enoxaparin is a low-molecular-weight heparin that has pharmacokinetic and therapeutic advantages over unfractionated heparin in certain clinical conditions. However, its administration is not without risk. We describe the case of a 70-year-old woman with numerous medical problems who developed severe retroperitoneal bleeding after receiving several therapeutic doses of subcutaneous enoxaparin that inadvertently were not adjusted for her renal function until day 14 of therapy. ⋯ The patient's hemodynamic status improved, and her hemoglobin level stabilized. This case report provides evidence of the clinical effectiveness of factor VIIa use as part of the management of refractory enoxaparin-induced retroperitoneal bleeding. However, further studies are needed to validate the dose-response relationship and further support the clinical utility of factor VIIa in this life-threatening situation.