Current medical research and opinion
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Medication prescribing information provides guidance to healthcare providers on how to prescribe a drug properly. Oftentimes patient factors in addition to the prescribing information are considered when selecting medications. Utilizing real-world pharmacy and medical claims data, this study assessed US practitioner prescribing practices of US approved transdermal buprenorphine system (BTDS) in relation to BTDS's full prescribing information (FPI) as well as the relationship between patient factors and initial BTDS dose. ⋯ Data obtained from prescription claims reflect only the activities of prescriptions filled, not medication use or other clinical characteristics observed by physicians when treating patients.
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Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults can resemble, and often co-occurs with, bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). This can lead to mistaken diagnoses and ineffective treatment, resulting in potentially serious adverse consequences. All three conditions can substantially impair well-being and functioning, while BD and BPD are associated with suicidality. ⋯ It is important to accurately diagnose ADHD, BD, and BPD to ensure correct targeting of treatments and improvements in patient outcomes. However, there is a shortage of data about treatment of adults with ADHD and comorbid BD or BPD.
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Meta Analysis
The impact of VKORC1-1639G > A genetic polymorphism upon warfarin dose requirement in different ethnic populations.
Published data on the association between vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKORC1)-1639G > A polymorphism and warfarin dose requirement are inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. ⋯ This meta-analysis indicated that the VKORC1-1639G > A genetic polymorphism is associated with the variation of interindividual warfarin dose requirement in different ethnic populations.
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Data is currently lacking in evaluating the weekly rates of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) among patients receiving anticoagulants. ⋯ This analysis suggests that the risk of VTE recurrence remains high in the early weeks after an index VTE among patients receiving anticoagulants.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Corticotropin-releasing hormone expression in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy after ursodeoxycholic acid treatment: an initial experience.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is one of the most potent vasodilatory factors in the human feto-placental circulation. The expression of CRH was significantly down-regulated in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). ⋯ Maternal serum and placental CRH expression in ICP patients were up-regulated after treatment of UDCA. The up-regulation of CRH expression after UDCA treatment may play an important role in the therapeutic mechanism of ICP. All patients recruited in this study had severe cholestasis (TBA ≥ 40 µmol/L). Further studies are warranted in different gestational weeks and TBA levels to provide more evidence for the correlation between UDCA treatment and CRH expression in ICP patients.