Clinical therapeutics
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, repeat-dose study of two intravenous acetaminophen dosing regimens for the treatment of pain after abdominal laparoscopic surgery.
Intravenous acetaminophen has been approved in Europe and elsewhere for the treatment of acute pain and fever, and was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of mild to moderate pain, the management of moderate to severe pain with adjunctive opioid analgesics, and the reduction of fever. ⋯ Both regimens of intravenous acetaminophen (1000 mg q6h and 650 mg q4h) were associated with statistically significant analgesic efficacy compared with placebo and were well tolerated in these adults after abdominal laparoscopic surgery. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00564486.
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2010
ReviewContemporary pharmacologic treatments for spasticity of the upper limb after stroke: a systematic review.
Muscle spasticity after stroke may be painful and severe and may restrict the patient's ability to perform routine daily tasks, particularly when the affected muscles are in the upper limbs. Treatments targeted at reducing this spasticity have evolved over time. ⋯ The 54 studies included in this systematic review of treatments for upper limb spasticity after stroke measured multiple outcomes using a variety of instruments. Fifty-one studies focused on treatment with a BTX formulation. BTX appeared to be an effective and well-tolerated focal treatment for reducing tonicity in patients with upper limb spasticity after stroke, supporting current guideline recommendations.
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2010
Comparative StudyModeling the cost-effectiveness of prothrombin complex concentrate compared with fresh frozen plasma in emergency warfarin reversal in the United kingdom.
Warfarin is the most commonly used oral anticoagulant in the United Kingdom. Indications for its long-term use include recurrent venous thrombosis, prosthetic heart valves, stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, and prosthetic heart valve replacement. ⋯ PCC appeared to be a more cost-effective treatment than FFP for the emergency reversal of warfarin, from the perspective of the UK National Health Service, in this model analysis.
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2010
Cost and resource utilization associated with fluconazole as first-line therapy for invasive candidiasis: a retrospective database analysis.
Fluconazole is a standard first-line therapy for candidemia/invasive candidiasis (C/IC), based on its efficacy, safety profile, and comparatively low acquisition cost. However, little is known about the total costs associated with fluconazole treatment for this indication, particularly in cases of clinical failure. ⋯ The overall resource use associated with fluconazole as first-line treatment for C/IC was high, especially in patients who required additional antifungal therapy. Future studies should examine the patterns of care and costs associated with alternative treatment options as first-line C/IC therapy.
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Clinical therapeutics · Dec 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy and tolerability of pregabalin using a flexible, optimized dose schedule in Korean patients with peripheral neuropathic pain: a 10-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study.
Clinical trials from various countries have reported the efficacy of pregabalin for reducing peripheral neuropathic pain. ⋯ Flexible-dose pregabalin (150-600 mg/d for 8 weeks) was associated with a significant, although modest, reduction in mean DPRS score; an improvement in anxiety and subjective sleep; and generally good tolerability compared with placebo in these Korean patients with neuropathic pain due to diabetic peripheral neuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, or posttraumatic neuropathic pain.