Pharmacotherapy
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Severe thermal injury is associated with hypermetabolism and hypercatabolism, leading to skeletal muscle breakdown, lean body mass loss, weight loss, and negative nitrogen balance. Muscle protein catabolism in patients with severe thermal injury is the result of stress-induced increased release of cytokines and counterregulatory hormones. Coupled with decreased serum anabolic hormone concentrations such as testosterone and growth hormone along with the presence of insulin resistance, anabolism in patients with severe thermal injury is inefficient or impossible during the acute postburn period. ⋯ During the rehabilitation period, oxandrolone therapy with adequate nutrition and exercise improved lean body mass, increased muscle strength, and restored body weight. However, most data on oxandrolone use in adult patients with severe thermal injury are derived from single-center studies, many of which enrolled a relatively small number of subjects and some of which had a poor design. Multicenter, prospective, randomized studies are needed to better define the optimal oxandrolone dosage and to confirm the efficacy and safety of this drug in adult patients with severe thermal injury.
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Atrial arrhythmias, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) are significant health problems and an economic burden to society. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) may play a key role in the occurrence of structural and electrical remodeling, potentially explaining the development of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. Angiotensin II has been shown to regulate cardiac cell proliferation and to modulate cardiac myocyte ion channels. ⋯ Whether ACE inhibitors may prevent life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias or SCD is unclear. Aldosterone antagonists appear to be useful for the prevention of SCD in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Results from ongoing clinical trials are anticipated to provide further insight on the potential roles of RAAS inhibitors for the prevention of cardiac arrhythmias.
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Hot flashes occur frequently in menopausal women and in women with breast cancer, diminishing their quality of life. A report from the Women's Health Initiative published in 2002 raised concerns about the long-term safety of estrogen therapy. As a result, nonhormonal alternatives have emerged as preferred treatments. ⋯ Although the studies were few, all showed gabapentin to be safe and effective in the treatment of hot flashes. At doses used to control hot flashes, gabapentin was well tolerated, with drowsiness as its most reported adverse effect. Gabapentin can be considered effective in the treatment of hot flashes and should be considered a reasonable alternative when estrogen therapy is not desired.
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Prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis and second leading cause of cancer-related mortality for men in the United States. Due to the increased prevalence of prostate cancer in men older than 50 years, men at risk for prostate cancer represent the same population of men who are at greatest risk for metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease (CAD). In addition to risk factors for CAD that are applicable to the general population, men with prostate cancer can be at increased risk for CAD due to long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) administered as treatment for prostate cancer. ⋯ Pharmacists should provide counseling to these patients on primary disease prevention. Men receiving ADT should be monitored routinely for signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and CAD. Healthy lifestyle practices should be encouraged, and physical therapy should be considered for these patients.
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Lethal injection as a method of state-sanctioned capital punishment was initially proposed in the United States in 1977 and used for the first time in 1982. Most lethal injection protocols use a sequential drug combination of sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride. Lethal injection was originally introduced as a more humane form of execution compared with existing mechanical methods such as electrocution, toxic gassing, hanging, or firing squad. ⋯ Many have also raised issues regarding the "medicalization" of execution and the ethics of health care professionals' participation in any part of the lethal injection process. As a result of all these issues, the future of lethal injection as a means of execution in the United States is under significant scrutiny. Outcomes of ongoing legislative and judicial reviews might result in cessation of lethal injection in totality or in alterations involving specific drug combinations or administration procedures.