Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Subcutaneous versus intravenous insulin therapy for glucose control in non-diabetic trauma patients. A randomized controlled trial.
Hyperglycaemia in trauma patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Our pilot study is a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing the impact of two glucose control regimens on outcomes in non-diabetic trauma patients admitted with hyperglycaemia to the ICU. ⋯ There was no difference between SQ and IV insulin therapy in the ILOS in non-diabetic trauma patients.
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Review Case Reports
Overdose with levetiracetam: a case report and review of the literature.
Levetiracetam is an anticonvulsant agent that was first approved for use in the United States in 1999 and has a maximum recommended adult dose of 3000 mg daily. It has been noted to have a relatively mild adverse effect profile, with the most common side effects being somnolence, asthenia, infection, and dizziness. Although it has been widely prescribed, there have been few reports on the safety of this agent in overdose. ⋯ The few cases of levetiracetam overdose reported in the literature were associated with relatively mild, if any, symptoms. However, one patient who overdosed on levetiracetam became obtunded and developed significant respiratory distress that required intubation and ventilatory support. Therefore, clinical vigilance is still required in the cases of levetiracetam overdose.
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Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic skin condition that is difficult to treat. Pregabalin is one of the possible treatments for PN but its safety and efficacy are not well defined. We aimed to assess the efficacy of pregabalin in patients with PN. ⋯ In our study, pregabalin was effective for the treatment of PN. However, given the open and non-controlled study design used, a properly powered randomized controlled validation study is called for.
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Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is an uncommon and disabling disorder characterized by progressive rigidity and episodic painful spasms involving axial and limb musculature. SPS treatment is mostly based on benzodiazepines, baclofen, immunosuppressants and intravenous immunoglobulin. Cannabis derivatives [tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD)] are available as an oromucosal spray (Sativex(®)), indicated as add-on treatment, for symptom improvement in patients with moderate to severe spasticity because of multiple sclerosis (MS). Our objective is to report a case of seronegative SPS successfully treated with THC-CBD oromucosal spray. ⋯ Clinical experience with cannabis derivatives in patients with multiple sclerosis is accumulating steadily, but there is no current literature about its efficacy for SPS. Because MS and SPS share some neurological symptoms such as spasticity and rigidity, it is thought that THC-CBC can be an option for SPS patient. Our case report suggests that THC-CBD oromucosal spray is an alternative treatment for patients with refractory SPS, and further validation is appropriate.