Adverse drug reactions in paediatric surgery: prospective study on frequency and risk related factors.

BACKGROUND: Paediatric patients are especially prone to experiencing adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and the surgical environment gathers many conditions for such reactions to occur. Additionally, little information exists in the literature on ADRs in the paediatric surgical population. We aimed to quantify the ADR frequency in this population, and to investigate the characteristics and risk factors associated with ADR development. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in a cohort of 311 paediatric patients, aged 1-16 years, admitted for surgery at a tertiary referral hospital in Spain (2019-2021). Incidence rates were used to assess ADR frequency. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to evaluate the influence of potential risk factors on ADR development. RESULTS: Distinct ADRs (103) were detected in 80 patients (25.7%). The most frequent being hypotension (N = 32; 35%), nausea (N = 16; 15.5%), and emergence delirium (N = 16; 15.5%). Most ADRs occurred because of drug-drug interactions. The combination of sevoflurane and fentanyl was responsible for most of these events (N = 32; 31.1%). The variable most robustly associated to ADR development, was the number of off-label drugs prescribed per patient (OR = 2.99; 95% CI 1.73 to 5.16), followed by the number of drugs prescribed per patient (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.41), and older age (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.49). The severity of ADRs was assessed according to the criteria of Venulet and the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System. According to both methods, only four ADRs (3.9%) were considered serious. CONCLUSIONS: ADRs have a high incidence rate in the paediatric surgical population. The off-label use of drugs is a key risk factor for ADRs development.

[Authorized specifications for human use in clinical practice of radiopharmaceuticals composed of iobenguane (123I) marketed in Spain]. / Condiciones de uso humano autorizadas en la práctica clínica para los radiofármacos compuestos de iobenguano (123I) comercializados en España.

This article details the specifications authorised for human use in the clinical practice for the radiopharmaceutical products composed of iobenguane ((123)I) marketed in Spain.

Acute cerebellopathy as a probable toxic effect of flucytosine.

Cryptococcosis is the commonest fungal infection of the CNS and it is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunodeficient patients [1]. It has been occasionally described in immunocompetent patients [2]. We report a patient with no predisposing factors who was treated with flucytosine and amphotericin B for cryptococcal meningitis. Following treatment, she developed a reversible acute cerebellar syndrome that was probably secondary to the administration of flucytosine, an adverse effect that has not previously been described [3, 4]. An 87-year old women with no relevant personal or family history was admitted to the hospital for headache, fever, and confusion over the past week. The vital signs, general and neurological examination were normal. In laboratory tests, the urine, urea nitrogen, glucose, bilirubin, electrolytes, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, alkaline phosphatase, haematocrit, white-cell count, and platelet were also normal. A lumbar puncture was performed which showed: 60 typical lymphocytes per ml, adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity 6 U.l-1 (normal under 4 U.l-1), proteins 75.7 mg.dl-1, and glucose 13 mg.dl-1 with a glycaemia of 120 mg.dl-1. The microbiology study showed staining and a positive culture for Cryptococcus neoformans, and an antigen titre of 1/2080. The serology for HIV infection was negative, and other predisposing factors for this fungal infection, such as immunological defects, a lymphoreticular malignancy and sarcoidosis were excluded. A CT scan of the cranial-thoracic-abdominal regions was normal and tumour markers were absent.

[Acetylation polymorphism in lung cancer]. / Polimorfismo acetilador en el cáncer de pulmón.

The acetylation phenotype was determined, by means of sulfamethazine measurement, in 87 patients (83 male) with confirmed bronchogenic carcinoma and in 93 healthy control patients (41 male) of equal ages. 48 patients and 54 controls were classified as being "slow acetylators" (Ch2 n.s.) When the persons were individually analysed by phenotype, it was confirmed that the patients showed a significantly lower rate of acetylated sulfamethazine than the control group (p less than 0.02), owing to the poor acetylation of patients with small-cell lung cancer. This difference should be confirmed by more detailed pharmacokinetic studies before regarding it as a possible interference of paraneoplasic type. The polymorphism acetylator cannot be considered a genetic marker related to the risk of having lung cancer.