Int J Clin Pharm Th
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Int J Clin Pharm Th · Nov 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialEfficacy and tolerability of flupirtine in subacute/ chronic musculoskeletal pain - results of a patient level, pooled re-analysis of randomized, double-blind, controlled trials.
Flupirtine, a nonopioid analgesic without antipyretic or antiphlogistic properties, constitutes a unique class within the group of WHO-I analgesics. First approved in Germany on a national level in 1989, this selective neuronal potassium channel opener evolved rapidly into one of the most preferred analgesics for the treatment of musculoskeletal pain in some European countries. However, its use outside Europe was limited due to a discrepancy between the empirical application of the drug and supporting evidence. As a consequence, the German Pain Society commissioned an independent research institute to perform a pooled re-analysis of all available data from randomized controlled trials (including some trial not yet published). ⋯ On the basis of this pooled analysis of individual data from 8 controlled clinical trials involving patients suffering from sub-acute/chronic musculoskeletal pain, the efficacy of flupirtine was superior to placebo across its effective and approved dosage range. Flupirtine was at least as active as the active comparators and showed a superior tolerability profile with a significantly lower treatment discontinuation rate.
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Int J Clin Pharm Th · Oct 2011
Lepirudin dose-dependently increases thrombelastography parameters at therapeutic plasma concentrations as measured with ROTEM® - a pilot study.
The aim of this in-vitro pilot study was to assess the usefulness of the thrombelastograph ROTEM® for determining the anticoagulant activity of lepirudin. ⋯ This pilot investigation shows that the ROTEM® device may be suitable for monitoring lepirudin at low concentrations but the results should be confirmed in a larger study and the ROTEM® device validated against standard methods.
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Int J Clin Pharm Th · May 2011
Comparative StudyCoagulation status in patients with coronary artery disease taking 100 mg aspirin and healthy volunteers using PFA-100® and ROTEM®.
Previous investigation revealed that age is a major risk factor for thomboembolic events. Earlier studies with thrombelastography have demonstrated procoagulant activity in elderly patients with coronary artery disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in the coagulation status of patients with documented coronary artery disease, healthy elderly and healthy young volunteers with the rotation thrombelastography (ROTEM®) and PFA-100®. ⋯ Measured with the collagen/epinephrine cartridge of the PFA-100®, healthy young volunteers (166.4 ± 59.5 s) had numerical but insignificantly longer mean closure times compared to healthy elderly (138.5 ± 53.3 s). These findings point to agerelated differences in thrombelastographic parameters. The ROTEM® analysis indicates an increased coagulability in patients with coronary artery disease and healthy elderly compared to healthy young volunteers.
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Int J Clin Pharm Th · Apr 2011
Antihypertensive prescribing preferences in three South Indian Hospitals: cost analysis, physicians perspectives and emerging trends.
The objectives of this study were i) to analyze the prescription pattern of antihypertensive agents in three South Indian hospitals ii) to perform cost-analysis of various antihypertensive treatment regimens iii) to examine the physicians' perspectives of antihypertensive prescribing. ⋯ The preference of CCBs and combination-therapy over the traditionally used diuretics or beta-blockers is consistent with the outcomes of recent clinical trials that underscore the benefits of using combination therapy with CCBs as initial therapy for uncomplicated hypertension.
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Int J Clin Pharm Th · Mar 2011
Cephalosporin and penicillin cross-reactivity in patients allergic to penicillins.
Bata-lactam antibiotics are the most commonly used antibiotics which usually cause serious IgE-mediated allergic reactions. Of all bata-lactam antibiotics, penicillins have so far been the best-studied, but the studies of cephalosporins and their cross-reactivity with penicillins are rare. We sought to evaluate the IgE response in vitro and estimate cross-reactivity between penicillins and cephalosporins in patients allergic to penicillins. ⋯ There exists cross-reactivity between cephalosporins and penicillins; patients allergic to several penicillins are more likely to develop allergic reaction to cephalosporins; due to sensitization to the similar structural characteristics (nuclear and R1 side-chain), penicillin-allergic patients may develop cross-allergic reactions with not only first-generation but also third-generation cephalosporins.