Pharmacotherapy
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Comparative Study
Impact of dexmedetomidine on analgesic requirements in patients after cardiac surgery in a fast-track recovery room setting.
To compare postoperative opioid requirements in patients who received dexmedetomidine versus propofol after cardiac surgery. ⋯ Dexmedetomidine resulted in lower opioid requirements in patients after cardiac surgery versus those receiving propofol, but this did not result in shorter durations of mechanical ventilation, using a fast-track CVRU model.
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To assess patterns and predictors of discontinuation of rhythm-control drug therapy in managed care patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation and the direct medical costs of atrial fibrillation in these patients. ⋯ Initial rhythm-control drug therapy is associated with a high rate of discontinuation, especially early in therapy. Such rates of discontinuation will likely have an impact on the effectiveness of disease management and the quality of care in patients with atrial fibrillation.
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Dexmedetomidine is an alpha(2)-agonist indicated for sedation in critically ill patients and procedural sedation in nonintubated patients. It is a distinctive sedative because it does not cause respiratory depression, but it may cause hypotension and bradycardia. We describe a 74-year-old man who was receiving dexmedetomidine for agitation and experienced progressive bradycardia. ⋯ Clinicians need to be educated about the potential for dexmedetomidine to cause bradycardia progressing to pulseless electrical activity, and patients need to be closely monitored. Patients who receive dexmedetomidine and develop a greater than 30% decrease in heart rate may be at high risk for severe bradycardia leading to pulseless electrical activity. We urge caution when using dexmedetomidine, especially in patients with significant cardiac disease.
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To determine the prevalence, over 40 years, of using the last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) imputation method in clinical trials, the association between use of LOCF and how the trials were conducted, and the extent of information about attrition and LOCF use in published reports. ⋯ The percentage of clinical antidepressant trials using the LOCF method and the percentage of study subjects' data imputed by using LOCF increased many-fold during 1965-2004. Published reports of trials provided little information to allow readers to assess possible bias introduced by use of the LOCF method.
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Rotigotine is a highly lipophilic dopamine-receptor agonist and the first transdermally delivered agent to demonstrate efficacy and safety as monotherapy in early Parkinson's disease and to reduce "off" hours in levodopa-treated patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. The rotigotine pharmacophore is nonergolinic and demonstrates high affinity for dopamine D(2) and D(3) receptors. With once-daily application, the patch matrix provides continuous, nonfluctuating plasma drug levels at steady state, resulting in continuous and steady plasma and brain levels and striatal dopamine-receptor stimulation. ⋯ The transdermal delivery system is also an advantage when nonoral administration is desired, and the 24-hour, continuous, nonfluctuating drug levels can improve early morning and nocturnal symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Thus, transdermally delivered rotigotine is a clinically innovative and useful addition to the dopamine-receptor agonist class. This review summarizes the key pharmacologic and clinical data for rotigotine and provides a focused clinical context for its use in early-to-advanced Parkinson's disease, as well as a brief summary for its role in restless legs syndrome.