Preventability of Adverse Drug Reactions Related to Antibiotics: An Assessment Based on Spontaneous Reporting System.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are commonly used in both outpatient and inpatient settings and are responsible for the majority of adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports. We aimed to characterize spontaneously reported ADRs associated with antibiotics and assessing the preventability of these ADRs in a Vietnamese setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study based on ADRs related to antibiotics spontaneously reported by healthcare workers to the National Pharmacovigilance Database of Vietnam (NPDV) between June 2018 and May 2019. The characteristics of included reports were descriptively analyzed. The preventability of reported ADRs was assessed using a standardized preventability scale. We identified the leading causes and described the characteristics associated with preventable ADRs (pADRs). RESULTS: We included 6385 antibiotic-related reports from a total of 12,056 reports submitted to the NPDV during the study period. Beta-lactam antibiotics, mostly broad-spectrum with parenteral route, were suspected in the majority cases. The most commonly reported pADRs were allergic reactions, mostly classified under skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders. Of all included cases, 537 cases (8.4%) were deemed as associated with pADRs. Major causes of pADRs include potentially inappropriate prescribing (352/537, 65.5%) and re-administration of antibiotics causing prior allergy/allergies (99/537, 18.4%). The majority of pADRs involved the use of beta-lactam antibiotics with inappropriate indications. CONCLUSION: ADRs related to antibiotic use represent more than half of ADRs spontaneously reported in Vietnam. Approximately one in every ten reported cases is associated with pADRs. The majority pADRs can be prevented through simple improvement in antibiotic prescribing practices.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of Spherical Nd3+ Substituted ZnFe2O4 Nanoparticles.

In this study, nanocrystalline ZnNdxFe2-xO4 ferrites with x = 0.0, 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 were fabricated and used as a catalyst for dye removal potential. The effect of Nd3+ ions substitution on the structural, optical and photo-Fenton activity of ZnNdxFe2-xO4 has been investigated. The addition of Nd3+ ions caused a decrease in the grain size of ferrites, the reduction of the optical bandgap energies and thus could be well exploited for the catalytic study. The photocatalytic activity of the ferrite samples was evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in the presence of H2O2 under visible light radiation. The results indicated that the ZnNdxFe2-xO4 samples exhibited higher removal efficiencies than the pure ZnFe2O4 ferrites. The highest degradation efficiency was 98.00%, attained after 210 min using the ZnNd0.03Fe1.97O4 sample. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the ZnFe2O4 doped with Nd3+ is explained due to the efficient separation mechanism of photoinduced electron and holes. The effect of various factors (H2O2 oxidant concentration and catalyst loading) on the degradation of RhB dye was clarified.

The effects of acute doxorubicin treatment on proteome lysine acetylation status and apical caspases in skeletal muscle of fasted animals.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin treatment is known to cause muscular weakness. However, the cellular mechanisms have not been elucidated. We aimed to determine the effects of acute doxorubicin treatment on proteome lysine acetylation status, an indication of the apoptotic and inflammatory environment, and the expression and activation of various apical caspases involved in the initiation of apoptosis. METHODS: Six-week-old male F344 rats were injected intraperitoneally with 20 mg/kg of doxorubicin or saline. Once the treatment was administered, both groups of animals were fasted with no food or water until sacrifice 24 h posttreatment. RESULTS: Doxorubicin treatment affected neither the proteome lysine acetylation status nor the expression of sirtuin 1, sirtuin 3, SOD1, or SOD2 in soleus of fasted animals. Doxorubicin treatment also did not affect the expression or activation of procaspase-1, procaspase-8, procaspase-9, or procaspase-12. CONCLUSION: We suggest that doxorubicin does not exert a direct effect on these catabolic parameters in skeletal muscle in vivo.