Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Efficacy and safety of fixed dose combination of atorvastatin and hydroxychloroquine: a randomized, double-blind comparison with atorvastatin alone among Indian patients with dyslipidemia.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of atorvastatin + hydroxychloroquine fixed-dose combination tablets in comparison with atorvastatin alone in treatment of dyslipidemia. ⋯ Based on study results and widely reported pleiotropic benefits, hydroxychloroquine could emerge as a potential drug for combination with statins for treatment of dyslipidemia. Long duration studies with larger sample sizes are required to further explore the role of hydroxychloroquine as adjunct to statins in reducing risk of cardiovascular events and prevention of statin-induced diabetes.
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Poor management of post-operative acute pain can contribute to medical complications including pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis, infection and delayed healing, as well as the development of chronic pain. It is therefore important that all patients undergoing surgery should receive adequate pain management. However, evidence suggests this is not currently the case; between 10% and 50% of patients develop chronic pain after various common operations, and one recent US study recorded >80% of patients experiencing post-operative pain. ⋯ Fourthly, organizational change could provide similar benefits; introducing acute pain services and increasing their availability towards the 24 hours/day ideal, greater adherence to protocols, increased use of patient-reported outcomes, and greater receptivity to technological advances would all help to enhance performance and increase patient satisfaction. It must be acknowledged that implementing these recommendations would incur a considerable cost that purchasers of healthcare may be unwilling or unable to finance. Nevertheless, change is under way and the political will exists for it to continue.
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This commentary summarizes recommended dosing strategies for a recently developed 3 monthly long-acting injectable 1 (LAI) formulation of paliperidone palmitate (PP3M) for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults. ⋯ ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01559272 and NCT01529515.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Tapentadol immediate-release for acute postbunionectomy pain: a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study in Taiwan.
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tapentadol immediate-release (IR) for treating acute pain following orthopedic bunionectomy surgery in a Taiwanese population. ⋯ Tapentadol IR treatment significantly relieved acute postoperative pain and was well tolerated in a Taiwanese population. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01813890.
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To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of dibotermin alfa compared with autologous iliac crest bone graft (ICBG) for patients undergoing single level lumbar interbody spinal fusion in a UK hospital setting. ⋯ In a UK hospital setting, dibotermin alfa/ACIM is a cost-effective substitute for ICBG for patients who require lumbar interbody arthrodesis.