The Annals of pharmacotherapy
-
Comparative Study
Effects of chemotherapy and psychosocial distress on perceived cognitive disturbances in Asian breast cancer patients.
There is conflicting evidence on the effect of chemotherapy and psychosocial distress on perceived cognitive changes in cancer patients. ⋯ Chemotherapy and endocrine treatment were associated with significant cognitive disturbances among Asian breast cancer patients. Psychosocial factors could be used to identify cancer patients who are more susceptible to cognitive disturbances in the clinical setting.
-
Comparative Study
Effectiveness of palonosetron versus other serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonists in triple antiemetic regimens during multiday highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
The second-generation serotonin 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist palonosetron has shown improved efficacy in the prevention of both acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). However, there have been no randomized controlled trials supporting the preferential use of palonosetron in triple antiemetic regimens for patients receiving multiday highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). ⋯ Within a triple antiemetic regimen, a palonosetron-based antiemetic regimen was not significantly different from regimens based on first-generation 5-HT(3) receptor antagonists in preventing CINV during multiday HEC.
-
To present a series of cases demonstrating successful reversal of mifepristone effects in women who chose to reverse the medical abortion process. ⋯ Health care professionals should be aware of the possible use of progesterone to reverse mifepristone in women who have begun the medical abortion process by taking mifepristone and then change their minds.
-
Guidelines recommend that agents other than vancomycin be considered for some types of infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to vancomycin is 2 μg/mL or more. Alternative therapeutic options include daptomycin and linezolid, 2 relatively new and expensive drugs, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), an old and inexpensive agent. ⋯ TMP/SMX monotherapy compared favorably to linezolid and daptomycin in terms of treatment efficacy and mortality. Use of TMP/SMX instead of linezolid or daptomycin could potentially significantly reduce antibiotic costs. TMP/SMX should be considered for the treatment of MRSA infection with MIC of 2 μg/mL to vancomycin.
-
Review Comparative Study
Role of new drugs for management of atrial fibrillation.
To evaluate the role of newer agents in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF). ⋯ Use of dronedarone should be limited to patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF and should not be used in patients with heart failure or with permanent AF. Newer antithrombotic agents appear to be promising alternatives for the prevention of stroke in patients with AF; however, more data are needed to understand their role.