Curr Ther Res Clin E
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Oct 2008
Kanglaite injection plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for non-small cell lung cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Kanglaite (KLT) is a botanically sourced, molecularly targeted agent that is prepared as a microemulsion for IV use. The active substance is extracted from the herb Semen coicis. ⋯ This meta-analysis found that KLT injection in combination with chemotherapy was associated with improved response rate, quality of life, and symptoms, and a reduced incidence of AEs compared with chemotherapy alone in patients with NSCLC. These findings should be viewed with caution because of the low quality of the included trials.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Oct 2008
Hemodynamic effects of an intravenous bolus of epinephrine in healthy rats: A randomized, open-label, controlled pilot study.
IV epinephrine is widely used in the treatment of shock to increase blood pressure (BP). However, whether it may also induce hypotension remains unknown. ⋯ An IV bolus of epinephrine > 1 μg/kg was associated with biphasic changes in BP, including initial hypertension and subsequent hypotension, in these healthy rats. Future blinded and larger studies using lower doses are needed.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Jun 2008
Role of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors in exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
In the general population, selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors have been associated with fewer gastrointestinal adverse effects (AEs) than NSAIDs, but whether they are associated with exacerbations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains controversial. ⋯ The results from this meta-analysis suggest that insufficient data were available to determine the impact of COX-2 inhibitors on IBD exacerbations. The relatively smaller risk for AEs makes the short-term use of COX-2 inhibitors potentially attractive, but the long-term benefits remain unclear. Further studies with sound methodology and large sample sizes are needed to evaluate the tolerability of COX-2 inhibitors in the treatment of IBD.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Jun 2008
Dose-related effects of olprinone on hypercapnia-Induced impairment of diaphragmatic contractility in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs.
In a previous study, olprinone was found to be more effective than milrinone in improving hypercapnic depression of diaphragmatic contractility in dogs. ⋯ Olprinone was associated with a dose-dependent improvement of hypercapnia-induced impairment of diaphragmatic contractility in these pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs.
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Curr Ther Res Clin E · Apr 2008
Self-reported influence of television-based direct-to-consumer advertising on patient seasonal allergy and asthma medication use: An internet survey.
Direct-to-consumer advertising (DDTCA) of medications, a marketing tool used by the pharmaceutical industry to increase patient awareness of products, affects both consumer behavior and, ultimately, physician prescribing practices. Billions of dollars are budgeted each year for DTCA, and its influence is far-reaching. However, little information is available about patient-initiated physician interactions in which television-bbased DTCA has played a role in consumer behavior. ⋯ Within th his limited, self-reported, survey sample, patient-initiated discussions with physicians regarding television-based DTCA of allergy and asthma medications resulted in a change of treatment in 44.0% and 39.1% of respondents, respectively.