Clinical News

Influenza, zoster, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and the diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis adsorbed (DTaP) are among the most common vaccines involved in medication errors in the United States, according to a new report from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).

Phase 3 clinical trial data demonstrate tiotropium’s potential benefit as an add-on treatment for asthma patients.

When used in conjunction with conventional blood clot prevention therapies, statins significantly reduced the risk for venous thromboembolic (VTE) events following total joint replacement (TJR) surgery, according to research presented recently at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Benzodiazepines and opioid medications have dangerous synergistic effects. The use of both has climbed in the last decade, and so has co-prescription.

The high risk of bleeding in patients taking the anticoagulant dabigatran (Pradaxa) has been a major problem that the manufacturer and health experts have been trying to find solutions for over the last four years. Sixteen percent of patients experienced a bleed in one year, including 3.3% who had bleeds that required emergency medical treatment, according to one clinical trial.

A penicillin "allergy" label adversely affects the quantity and quality of healthcare in hospitalized patients, a new study reports.

Approved in October 2013 for two patient groups, Riociguat (Adempas, Bayer) is a first-in-class sGC stimulator.

This case report underscored the importance of performing accurate genotyping before initiation of therapy.

ISMP reports that a growing number of cases of oral vaccines intended to protect children against rotavirus gastroenteritis are mistakenly being injected.

Researchers have found a link between women who have taken oral contraceptives and an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, this does not mean women should stop taking birth control.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries launched loxapine inhalation powder, 10 mg (Adasuve) March 3, for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar 1 disorder in adults.

The study concludes that AHA and other organizations should add depression to the official list of risk factors for acute coronary syndrome.

Warfarin use may be safe following a heart attack in patients with both atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease, according to a Swedish study of more than 24,000 patients.

Poor prescriber choices are setting patients up for for allergic reactions, super-resistant infections, and deadly diarrhea caused by C. difficile.

Patients more than 80 years old are being “over-treated” for stroke prevention with statins and antihypertensive drugs, and doctors need to actively rethink their priorities and beliefs about stroke prevention, according to a new study published in Evidence Based Medicine.

FDA advisors decided against recommending over-the-counter (OTC) marketing approval of Primatene HFA inhaler (Armstrong Pharmaceuticals) for the temporary relief of mild symptoms of intermittent asthma in patients 12 years and older, at last week’s joint meeting of the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee.

Study finds similar levels of contamination by microorganisms on stethoscopes and physicians' dominant hands.

Blood pressure medications used by many older adults can increase the risk of serious fall injuries by 30% to 40%.

18 research centers are working to establish guidelines for safe step-down procedures for patients with well-controlled asthma.

FDA approved metreleptin for injection (Myalept, Amylin Pharmaceuticals) as replacement therapy to treat the complications of leptin deficiency, in addition to diet, in patients with congenital generalized or acquired generalized lipodystrophy.

Azithromycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic for common infections since the early 1990s, is becoming less effective because of growing antimicrobial resistance.

Patients with severe injuries initially evaluated at non-trauma center emergency departments are less likely to be transferred to a trauma center if they have insurance, according to study published online ahead of print in JAMA Surgery.

More than 30% of Medicare Part D beneficiaries who receive opioid prescriptions are prescribed them from multiple providers, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. This practice, which goes against recommended guidelines of a single provider prescribing opioids for a patient, was found to be associated with higher rates of opioid-related hospitalization.

Canadian researchers have identified 10 clinical characteristics and developed a preliminary risk scale to help standardize admission practices for COPD patients.

FDA approved droxidopa (Northera, Chelsea Therapeutics) capsules for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). NOH is a rare, chronic and often debilitating condition that is associated with Parkinson's disease, multiple-system atrophy, and pure autonomic failure.

Nearly 12% of Medicare patients who receive inpatient rehabilitation following discharge from acute-care hospitalization are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after discharge from the rehabilitation facility, according to a study in the Feb. 12 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

Michigan will be the first state to standardize concentrations for children’s liquid prescriptions, due to a statewide initiative to reduce pediatric medication errors.

More than 14% of pregnant women were prescribed opioids for pain at some time during their pregnancy, according to a study published online in Anesthesiology. Given the surprising rate these medications were prescribed to pregnant women, more research is needed to assess the risk of opioids to unborn babies, the study suggests.

Boehringer Ingelheim is facing lawsuits in the United States over claims that Pradaxa, a blood-thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation, causes severe and fatal bleeding.

The National Institutes of Health, FDA, 10 biopharmaceutical companies, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and several nonprofit organizations have launched an unprecedented public/private partnership to transform the current model for identifying and validating the most promising biological targets of disease for new diagnostics and drug development.