Escitalopram-induced akathisia in a patient with major depressive disorder: A rare case report.

Medication-induced akathisia is restlessness with excessive movements developing after initiation/ increasing or decreasing the dose of drugs. Herein, we reported the case of a 38-year-old widowed mother of two children, a known case of major depressive disorder and type 2 diabetes mellitus, who presented with akathisia for 1 month following the use of escitalopram. The patient scored 3 on the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale global assessment. She was managed by decreasing the offending agent dose and adding clonazepam and propranolol. Her condition gradually improved, and she did not have akathisia by the end of 2 weeks. It is crucial to identify medication-induced akathisia as it is rare and associated with suicidality. Hence, a high index of clinical suspicion and adequate management are warranted.

Congenital hyperinsulinism in a newborn presenting with poor feeding.

Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia is a condition linked to several genetic, metabolic, and growth disorders in which there is dysregulated insulin secretion. In infants, an inappropriately persistent hypoglycemic and hypoketotic state can cause severe brain injury leading to epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and neurodevelopmental disabilities due to the lack of glucose and ketone substrate to serve as fuel for the developing brain. The most common cause of persistent hypoglycemia in neonates and children has been found to be congenital hyperinsulinism. Here, we report a child with a unique presentation, found to have a novel genetic variant as the underlying cause of hyperinsulinism. This case study highlights the importance of maintaining a broad differential and considering a diagnosis of congenital hyperinsulinism in a baby with poor feeding in the newborn period. Recognizing and treating congenital hyperinsulinism is essential to prevent potential neurological sequelae from recurrent, severe hypoglycemia.

Marijuana: A systems-based primer of adverse effects associated with use and an overview of its therapeutic utility.

Marijuana use is on the rise in the United States. By the end of 2019, 33 states have legalized marijuana use and marijuana byproduct use for medical purposes. However, marijuana use does not come without side effects. This manuscript reviews the increasing usage of marijuana and the different forms (natural and synthetic) that patients may use when presenting to clinicians. It also addresses the biochemical and behavioral changes observed with marijuana use, including the location and changes associated with cannabinoid receptors (abbreviated CB1 and CB2). These two topics lead into an extensive review of the side effects of marijuana use. This manuscript discusses gastrointestinal side-effects, such as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, pancreatitis, and hepatotoxicity. It also briefly reviews cardiovascular, neurologic, and pulmonary side effects. This article provides an overview of therapeutic effects of marijuana including the antiemetic effect, its medical utility as an appetite stimulant, and usefulness in cancer patients post-chemotherapy. A thorough social history pertaining to marijuana use is an important consideration for clinicians in patients presenting with a variety of symptoms, including those effecting the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, or neurologic systems.

Assessment of Reye's syndrome profile with data from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System and the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report databases using the disproportionality analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Reye's syndrome is a rare and potentially fatal illness that is defined as encephalopathy accompanied by liver failure. The aim of this study was to assess Reye's syndrome profiles by analyzing data from the spontaneous reporting system database. METHODS: We analyzed reports of Reye's syndrome using the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System and the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report databases. The reporting odds ratio and proportional reporting rate were used to detect the pharmacovigilance signal. RESULTS: The US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System contains 12,201,620 reports from January 2004 to June 2020, of which 186 are on Reye's syndrome. The Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report contains 646,779 reports from April 2004 to September 2020, of which 30 are on Reye's syndrome. In the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database, the reporting odds ratios (95% confidence interval, number of cases) of aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and valproate sodium were 404.6 (302.6-541.0, n = 80), 15.1 (6.7-34.1, n = 6), 26.2 (16.1-42.6, n = 18), 10.7 (5.5-20.9, n = 9), and 47.1 (26.2-84.6, n = 12), respectively. In the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database, the reporting odds ratios (95% confidence interval, number of cases) of aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, loxoprofen, acetaminophen, and valproate sodium were 14.1 (5.4-36.8, n = 5), 51.7 (22.2-120.5, n = 7), 135.0 (40.8-446.2, n = 3), 17.6 (6.7-46.0, n = 5), 24.0 (9.2-62.6, n = 5), and 13.8 (3.3-57.9, n = 2), respectively. The reported number of female patients aged 30-39 years was the highest in the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report. CONCLUSION: Although the frequency of the occurrence of Reye's syndrome is low, the possible risk of the disease occurring in adult females should be considered.

A case series about the favorable effects of sacubitril/valsartan on anthracycline cardiomyopathy.

Anthracyclines are the cornerstone of treatment for many solid and hematological cancers such as breast cancer or lymphoma for the past 50 years. Nevertheless, in a non-negligible proportion of patients, they elicit dilated cardiomyopathy as a side effect, which causes in turn cardiac decompensation. Conversely, for some years, sacubitril/valsartan has been proposed as a new therapeutic paradigm for all varieties of heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, due to its balanced enhancement of natriuretic peptides' properties coupled with a blocking effect on the AT1 angiotensin receptors. In this article, two clinical cases are illustrated in which the therapeutic action of sacubitril/valsartan against anthracycline cardiomyopathy would seem to be demonstrated by the improvement of symptoms and echocardiographic parameters. Thus, further studies would be warranted for better evaluating the potential role of sacubitril/valsartan as a novel therapeutic tool against anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

A possible increase in liver enzymes due to amlodipine: A case report.

Amlodipine is a commonly prescribed antihypertensive drug, well tolerated and has rarely been attributed as a cause for elevated liver enzymes. Here, we present a 47-year-old male patient known to be hypertensive and admitted to our rehabilitation facility after an acute stroke. During his stay, amlodipine was started in addition to other antihypertensive medications to control his blood pressure. His liver transaminases after 4 days (notably alanine aminotransferase) were found to be markedly elevated. After reviewing the medications and investigating probable causes, amlodipine was suspended. After 5 days of suspending amlodipine, the transaminases started to trend downward. The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale and the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method were performed to assess causality in this suspected idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury case. Both the scores denoted a probable amlodipine-induced liver injury. Previous case reports related to amlodipine-induced liver injury are mentioned and presented in the table below. In conclusion, amlodipine, though not well known to be hepatotoxic, can induce liver enzyme elevations in an idiosyncratic manner.

Reducing errors in the administration of medication with infusion pumps in the intensive care department: A lean approach.

BACKGROUND: Medication errors occur frequently and may potentially harm patients. Administering medication with infusion pumps carries specific risks, which lead to incidents that affect patient safety. OBJECTIVE: Since previous attempts to reduce medication errors with infusion pumps failed in our intensive care unit, we chose the Lean approach to accomplish a 50% reduction of administration errors in 6 months. Besides improving quality of care and patient safety, we wanted to determine the effectiveness of Lean in healthcare. METHODS: We conducted a before-and-after observational study. After baseline measurement, a value stream map (a detailed process description, used in Lean) was made to identify important underlying causes of medication errors. These causes were discussed with intensive care unit staff during frequent stand-up sessions, resulting in small improvement cycles and bottom-up defined improvement measures. Pre-intervention and post-intervention measurements were performed to determine the impact of the improvement measures. Infusion pump syringes and related administration errors were measured during unannounced sequential audits. RESULTS: Including the baseline measurement, 1748 syringes were examined. The percentage of errors concerning the administration of medication by infusion pumps decreased from 17.7% (95% confidence interval, 13.7-22.4; 55 errors in 310 syringes) to 2.3% (95% confidence interval, 1-4.6; 7 errors in 307 syringes) in 18 months (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The Lean approach proved to be helpful in reducing errors in the administration of medication with infusion pumps in a high complex intensive care environment.

Gemcitabine-induced skin necrosis.

Since its emergence as a chemotherapy agent, gemcitabine has been associated with cutaneous adverse reactions. Rash is reported to be the most common cutaneous adverse effect. Other reported cutaneous reactions in the literature include bullous dermatosis, pseudocellulitis, subacute cutaneous lupus alopecia, and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. Skin necrosis is a very rare adverse effect of this otherwise well-tolerated chemotherapeutic agent. In searching the literature, only one other case has been reported. In our report, we present a 74-year-old male with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, status-post pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure), who developed a rare case of skin necrosis of the lower leg 2 weeks after completing six cycles of monotherapy gemcitabine treatment.

All that glitters is not gold: A case of lanthanum carbonate aspiration.

INTRODUCTION: Foreign body aspiration is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly hospitalized patients. These are typically small items that patients have access to, including small coins. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case report of a 75-year-old man recently bedridden from a large hemispheric stroke with sudden onset of hoarseness, cough and dysphagia. A chest X-ray was obtained which showed a radiopaque coin-shaped foreign body, presumably a coin in his aerodigestive tract. He was promptly taken to the endoscopy suite for upper endoscopy. During endoscopy, it was determined that the foreign body was a radiopaque medication that he had been given. It was easily and safely able to be crushed and lavaged down into his stomach and later determined to be lanthanum carbonate, a commonly used phosphate binder. Following endoscopy, the patient's cough, hoarseness and dysphagia resolved with no long-term complications. DISCUSSION: Lanthanum carbonate is a phosphate-binding medication used in the management and treatment of hyperphosphatemia commonly seen in patients with end-stage renal disease, which is radiopaque. There are few published reports and images of radiopaque fragments of medication in the gastrointestinal tract but none causing aspiration by masquerading as a coin-like density in the aerodigestive tract as we present here.

Adverse effect profile comparison of pain regimens with and without intravenous acetaminophen in total hip and knee arthroplasty patients.

BACKGROUND: The use of adjunct, non-opioid agents is integral for pain control following total hip and knee arthroplasty. Literature comparing safety profiles of intravenous acetaminophen versus opioids is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a difference in frequency and type of adverse effects between intravenous acetaminophen-treated and non-intravenous acetaminophen-treated patients. Primary safety endpoints included any adverse effect noted in the electronic medical record post-surgically. Secondary endpoints included changes in laboratory values, vital signs, and pain scores. METHODS: This is a retrospective, matched, cohort study with data collected from electronic medical records. Adverse effects were collected from progress notes, nursing notes, and post-operative notes. Mean pain score was measured by the 11-point visual analog scale over a 72-h period. RESULTS: A total of 609 patients who underwent a total hip or knee replacement were included. In all, 406 patients were treated with intravenous acetaminophen, and 203 patients received medication management without intravenous acetaminophen. More patients treated with intravenous acetaminophen experienced an adverse effect compared to patients who did not receive intravenous acetaminophen (91.63% versus 84.73%; p = 0.012). Mean cumulative acetaminophen exposure was similar in the intravenous acetaminophen group (7704.89 ± 2558.6 versus 7260.1 ± 3016.09 mg; p = 0.07). Mean opioid use was similar in the intravenous acetaminophen group as compared to the non-intravenous acetaminophen group (209.61 ± 555.09 versus 163.89 ± 232.44 mg; p = 0.152). Significantly higher mean pain scores were found in the intravenous acetaminophen group during the 72-h post-surgery period as compared with non-intravenous acetaminophen-treated patients. CONCLUSION: The increased utilization of intravenous acetaminophen in multimodal pain management did not result in an improved safety or tolerability profile or reduced opioid utilization in orthopedic patients.

Experience of dolutegravir in HIV-infected treatment-naive patients from a tertiary care University Hospital in Ireland.

OBJECTIVE: Dolutegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, is a relatively new treatment option. To assess the tolerability, side effects, and time to viral decline to non-detectable in patients newly started on dolutegravir. METHODS: Retrospective health care record of 61 consecutive HIV treatment-naive patients started on dolutegravir was reviewed and analysed on SPSS. RESULTS: The mean initial viral load was 160826.05 copies/mL (range, 79-1,126,617 copies/mL). HIV viral load became non-detectable in 63.9% of patients on dolutegravir within 3 months. In all, 60.7% of patients reported no side effects on dolutegravir; 98.4% of the patients claimed full compliance to their antiretrovirals. CONCLUSION: Dolutegravir was found to be efficacious and well tolerated in HIV-infected treatment-naive patients.

Use of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors and platelet aggregation inhibitors among individuals with co-occurring atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and depression or anxiety.

OBJECTIVE: Medications commonly used to treat heart disease, anxiety, and depression can interact resulting in an increased risk of bleeding, warranting a cautious approach in medical decision making. This retrospective, descriptive study examined the prevalence and the factors associated with the use of both selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor and platelet aggregation inhibitor among individuals with co-occurring atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and anxiety or depression. METHODS: Respondents aged 22 years and older, alive throughout the study period, and diagnosed with co-occurring atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and anxiety or depression (n = 1507) in years 2007 through 2013 of the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey were included. The use of treatment was grouped as follows: selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor and platelet aggregation inhibitor, selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor or platelet aggregation inhibitor, and neither selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor nor platelet aggregation inhibitor. RESULTS: Overall, 16.5% used both selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor and platelet aggregation inhibitor, 61.2% used selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor or platelet aggregation inhibitor, and 22.3% used neither selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor nor platelet aggregation inhibitor. Respondents aged over 65 years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.93 (95% confidence interval = 1.08-3.45)) and having a diagnosis of diabetes (adjusted odds ratio = 1.63 (95% confidence interval = 1.15-2.31)) and hypertension (adjusted odds ratio = 1.84 (95% confidence interval = 1.04-3.27)) were more likely to be prescribed the combination. CONCLUSION: The drug interaction was prevalent in patients who are already at higher risk of health disparities and worse outcomes thus requiring vigilant evaluation.

Liver dysfunction and anti-thyroid therapy.

Thioamides have been used in the management of hyperthyroidism for over 50 years. Liver dysfunction is a rare but important side effect associated with their use. Recently, cases of liver failure associated with propylthiouracil have prompted the Federal Drug Administration to issue a Boxed Warning to the label of propylthiouracil regarding its risk of potentially fatal liver injury and acute liver failure in adults and children. Herein, we present a case to underline the importance of recognising the similar potential for severe hepatic dysfunction with the use of other thioamides.

Survey of pharmacy involvement in hospital medication reconciliation programs across the United States.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to conduct a review of pertinent literature, assess pharmacy involvement in medication reconciliation, and offer insight into best practices for hospitals to implement and enhance their medication reconciliation programs. METHOD: Pharmacists in hospitals nationwide were asked to complete an anonymous survey via the American College of Clinical Pharmacy online database. The multiple choice survey analyzed the roles that healthcare professionals play in medication reconciliation programs at hospitals. RESULTS: Of the survey responses received, 32/91 (35%) came from pharmacists at hospitals with a pharmacy-led medication reconciliation program. Of these pharmacy-led programs, 17/32 (53%) have a dedicated pharmacist or pharmacy staff to perform medication reconciliation. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive review of literature suggests that pharmacy involvement has the potential to reduce medication reconciliation errors and may improve patient satisfaction. Focused, full-time medication reconciliation pharmacists can help hospitals save time and money, improve outcomes, and meet higher standards issued by the Joint Commission. Data obtained in this study show the extent to which pharmacists contribute to achieving these goals in healthcare systems nationwide. This baseline study provides a strong case for hospitals to implement a pharmacy-led medication reconciliation program.