Pharmacotherapy
-
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.
-
To investigate the dosing, tolerability, and outcomes associated with the use of concomitant beta-blockers and inotropic therapy in patients with refractory heart failure during the first 6 months of their therapy. ⋯ Inotrope-dependent patients with refractory end-stage heart failure tolerated continuous intravenous milrinone plus beta-blockers in addition to diuretics and vasodilators for the 6-month observation period. Beta-blocker dosages were titrated, and three patients achieved the target beta-blocker dosage established for stage A-C heart failure. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal selection and dosing of drug combinations in this population.
-
To characterize the safety of concomitant aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and to identify patient characteristics that increase the risk of hemorrhage. ⋯ Warfarin was an independent predictor of major bleeding after PCI in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy. Prospective data to further characterize the safety of concomitant warfarin and dual antiplatelet therapy after PCI are needed.
-
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.
-
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.