Pharmacotherapy
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Drug abuse is a common problem and growing concern in the United States, and over the past decade, novel or atypical drugs have emerged and have become increasingly popular. Recognition and treatment of new drugs of abuse pose many challenges for health care providers due to lack of quantitative reporting and routine surveillance, and the difficulty of detection in routine blood and urine analyses. Furthermore, street manufacturers are able to rapidly adapt and develop new synthetic isolates of older drugs as soon as law enforcement agencies render them illegal. ⋯ Medical management of patients who abuse or overdose on these drugs largely consists of supportive care, although naloxone may be used as an antidote for desomorphine overdose. Symptoms of aggression and psychosis may be treated with sedation (benzodiazepines, propofol) and antipsychotics (haloperidol or atypical agents such as quetiapine or ziprasidone). Other facets of management to consider include treatment for withdrawal or addiction, nutrition support, and potential for transmission of infectious diseases.
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Review
Recent advances in the development of specific antidotes for target-specific oral anticoagulants.
Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, has been the only orally available anticoagulant for > 60 years. During the past decade, the U. S. ⋯ Specific antidotes for TSOACs may not be needed in most situations due to their short half-life, yet the absence of antidotes for these agents is a concern, especially in emergent situations such as life-threatening major bleeding or nonelective major surgery. Several specific antidotes for TSOACs including idarucizumab, andexanet alfa, and aripazine have been developed and have shown promise in early clinical trials evaluating their efficacy and safety. In this narrative review, the progress made in developing specific antidotes for TSOACs is summarized based on the latest available preclinical and clinical data.