scholarly journals The safety of ethanol infusions for the treatment of methanol or ethylene glycol intoxication: an observational study

CJEM ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (05) ◽  
pp. 283-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary Kate Wedge ◽  
Sabrina Natarajan ◽  
Christel Johanson ◽  
Rakesh Patel ◽  
Salmaan Kanji

ABSTRACT Background: Methanol or ethylene glycol ingestion may result in significant morbidity or death without prompt treatment. Despite traditional and widespread use of intravenous ethanol as an antidote, its safety is not well described. An evaluation of the safety and ease of titrating ethanol infusions is necessary given the availability of an alternative antidote. Objective: To evaluate the safety and ease of titrating ethanol infusions for the treatment of methanol or ethylene glycol ingestion. Methods: We reviewed the hospital records of adults treated with ethanol at The Ottawa Hospital for methanol or ethylene glycol ingestion over a 9-year period. Using a standardized case report form, a single reviewer identified prespecified adverse events that developed after the start of ethanol therapy and classified dose adjustments during ethanol therapy as appropriate or inappropriate based on a priori criteria. Results: Forty-nine cases of methanol or ethylene glycol ingestion treated with ethanol were included in the analysis, of which 45 underwent hemodialysis, 38 were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 4 died. At least one adverse event was identified in 45 (92%) cases, including 35 (71%) with agitation requiring chemical or physical restraints and 10 (20%) with a depressed level of consciousness treated with intubation. The median number of ethanol concentration measurements per treatment course was 6 (range 0–24), of which only 27% were within the target range of 22 to 30 mmol/L and 47% were below. When measured concentrations were outside the target, the adjustment in ethanol dosing (or lack thereof) was deemed inappropriate 59% of the time, including 69% of the time during hemodialysis. Conclusion: Based on actual practice in a large academic centre, adverse events occur frequently with intravenous ethanol infusions, and ethanol titration is inefficient. The safety profile and therapeutic drug monitoring considerations for ethanol should be considered when choosing an antidote for methanol or ethylene glycol ingestion.

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 563-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaurav Goel ◽  
Rajesh Sehgal ◽  
Dennis James Meisner ◽  
Min Sun ◽  
Gurleen Pasricha ◽  
...  

563 Background: 5-FU continues to serve as the backbone of systemic combination chemotherapy for treatment of CRC in the adjuvant and metastatic disease settings. The dosing of 5-FU has traditionally been based on body surface area (BSA). Growing evidence suggests that BSA-based 5-FU dosing has several limitations, and that pharmacokinetic (PK)-guided dosing of 5-FU improves clinical efficacy with reduced toxicity. We conducted a QI study to evaluate the clinical feasibility of PK-guided 5-FU dose adjustment and its impact on clinical outcome. Methods: CRC patients treated with combination chemotherapy regimens containing infusional 5-FU who underwent PK-guided optimization of 5-FU dosing using an antibody-based immunoassay (OnDose or MyCare) were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 58 patients (34 males, 24 females) meeting the entry criteria have been identified to date. The median age was 61 years (range, 27-85). Fifteen patients had stage III disease, and the remaining 43 patients had stage IV disease. The 5-FU infusional regimens included mFOLFOX6 (n=45) and FOLFIRI (n=13). A total of 143 5-FU PK tests were performed for these 58 patients. The median number of tests performed per patient was 2 (range, 1-5). On initial testing, only 36% (n=21) patients had 5-FU systemic exposure, measured as area under the curve (AUC), within the suggested target range of 20-30 mg.hr/L. Fifty-five percent of the patients were below the target AUC while 9% (n=5) patients were above the target range. Of the 32 patients below the target range on 5-FU AUC test, the 5-FU doses were increased in 22 patients for the subsequent treatment cycle. The median number of dose modifications required to achieve the target AUC levels in these patients was 1 (range, 1-2). The majority of these patients (86%, n=19) tolerated the increased 5-FU dose well without worsening of 5-FU related toxicity. Conclusions: Our data provides further evidence that 5-FU dosing based on BSA results in sub-optimal 5-FU exposure levels for the majority of patients (64%). PK-guided dose adjustment of 5-FU appears to be a practical and feasible approach that can be applied in routine clinical practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Böhle ◽  
Ulrike Georgi ◽  
Dewi Fôn Hughes ◽  
Oliver Hauser ◽  
Gudrun Stamminger ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesFor a long time, the therapeutic drug monitoring of anti-infectives (ATDM) was recommended only to avoid the toxic side effects of overdosing. During the last decade, however, this attitude has undergone a significant change. Insufficient antibiotic therapy may promote the occurrence of drug resistance; therefore, the “one-dose-fits-all” principle can no longer be classified as up to date. Patients in intensive care units (ICU), in particular, can benefit from individualized antibiotic therapies.MethodsPresented here is a rapid and sufficient LC-MS/MS based assay for the analysis of eight antibiotics (ampicillin, cefepime, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, linezolid, meropenem, and piperacillin) applicated by continuous infusion and voriconazole. In addition a dose adjustment procedure for individualized antibiotic therapy has been established.ResultsThe suggested dose adjustments following the initial dosing of 121 patient samples from ICUs, were evaluated over a period of three months. Only a minor percentage of the serum levels were found to be within the target range while overdosing was often observed for β-lactam antibiotics, and linezolid tended to be often underused. The results demonstrate an appreciable potential for β-lactam savings while enabling optimal therapy.ConclusionsThe presented monitoring method provides high specificity and is very robust against various interferences. A fast and straightforward method, the developed routine ensures rapid turnaround time. Its application has been well received by participating ICUs and has led to an expanding number of hospital wards participating in ATDM.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng KKF ◽  
S. A. Mitchell ◽  
N. Chan ◽  
E. Ang ◽  
W. Tam ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to translate and linguistically validate the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE™) into Simplified Chinese for use in Singapore. Methods All 124 items of the English source PRO-CTCAE item library were translated into Simplified Chinese using internationally established translation procedures. Two rounds of cognitive interviews were conducted with 96 cancer patients undergoing adjuvant treatment to determine if the translations adequately captured the PRO-CTCAE source concepts, and to evaluate comprehension, clarity and ease of judgement. Interview probes addressed the 78 PRO-CTCAE symptom terms (e.g. fatigue), as well as the attributes (e.g. severity), response choices, and phrasing of ‘at its worst’. Items that met the a priori threshold of ≥20% of participants with comprehension difficulties were considered for rephrasing and retesting. Items where < 20% of the sample experienced comprehension difficulties were also considered for rephrasing if better phrasing options were available. Results A majority of PRO-CTCAE-Simplified Chinese items were well comprehended by participants in Round 1. One item posed difficulties in ≥20% and was revised. Two items presented difficulties in < 20% but were revised as there were preferred alternative phrasings. Twenty-four items presented difficulties in < 10% of respondents. Of these, eleven items were revised to an alternative preferred phrasing, four items were revised to include synonyms. Revised items were tested in Round 2 and demonstrated satisfactory comprehension. Conclusions PRO-CTCAE-Simplified Chinese has been successfully developed and linguistically validated in a sample of cancer patients residing in Singapore.


1986 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 463-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic J. Baud ◽  
Chantal Bismuth ◽  
Robert Garnier ◽  
Martine Galliot ◽  
Alain Astier ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha F. Sabur ◽  
Mantaj S. Brar ◽  
Lisa Wu ◽  
Sarah K. Brode

Abstract Background The World Health Organization recommends intravenous amikacin for the treatment of MDR-TB at a dose of 15 mg/kg. However, higher doses are associated with significant toxicity. Methods Patients with MDR-TB treated at our institution receive amikacin at 8–10 mg/kg, with dose adjustment based on therapeutic drug monitoring. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with MDR-TB who received amikacin between 2010 and 2016. Results Forty-nine patients were included in the study. The median starting dose of amikacin was 8.9 mg/kg (IQR 8, 10), and target therapeutic drug levels were achieved at a median of 12 days (IQR 5, 26). The median duration of amikacin treatment was 7.2 months (IQR 5.7, 8), and median time to sputum culture conversion was 1 month (IQR 1,2). Six patients (12.2%) experienced hearing loss based on formal audiometry testing (95% CI 4.6–24.8%); 22.2% had subjective hearing loss (95% CI 11.2–37.1%) and 31.9% subjective tinnitus (95% CI 19.1–47.1%). Ten patients (23%) had a significant rise in serum creatinine (95% CI 11.8–38.6%), but only 5 patients had a GFR < 60 at treatment completion. 84% of patients had a successful treatment outcome (95% CI 84–99%). Conclusions Low dose amikacin is associated with relatively low rates of aminoglycoside-related adverse events. We hypothesize that low-dose amikacin can be used as a safe and effective treatment for MDR-TB in situations where an adequate regimen cannot be constructed with Group A and B drugs, and where careful monitoring for adverse events is feasible.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Naime Barbosa ◽  
Rui Seabra Ferreira ◽  
Francilene Capel Tavares de Carvalho ◽  
Fabiana Schuelter-Trevisol ◽  
Mônica Bannwart Mendes ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSafety, optimal minimum dose, and, preliminary effectiveness of a new generation Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera) antivenom (AAV) were evaluated. A phase I/II, multicenter, non- randomized, single-arm clinical trial involving 20 participants showing multiple stings were studied. Participants have received either 2 to 10 vials of AAV based on the stings number together with a predefined adjuvant, symptomatic, and complementary treatment schedule. The primary safety endpoint was the presence of early adverse reactions within the first 24 hours after treatment. Preliminary efficacy through clinical evolution, including laboratory tests, was assessed at baseline and over the following four weeks. ELISA assays and mass spectrometry estimated the venom pharmacokinetics before, during, and after treatment. Twenty adult participants, 13 (65%) males, and 7 (35%) females, with a median age of 44 years and a mean body surface of 1.92 m2 (median = 1.93 m2) were recruited. The median number of stings was 52.5 ranging from 7 to more than 2,000. Envenoming severity was classified as 80% mild, 15% moderate, and 5% severe. According to the protocol, 16 (80%) participants received two AAV vials, 3 (15%) six vials, and one (5%) 10 vials. There was no discontinuation of the treatment due to acute adverse events and there were no late adverse reactions. Two patients showed mild adverse events with only transient itchy skin and erythroderma. All participants completed the infusion within two hours and there was no loss of follow-up after discharge. ELISA assays showed venom concentrations varying between 0.25 ng/mL and 1.479 ng/mL prior to treatment. Venom levels decreased in all cases during the hospitalization period. Surprisingly, in nine cases (45%), despite clinical recovery and without symptoms, the venom levels increased again during outpatient care 10 days after discharge. Mass spectrometry showed melittin in eight participants 30 days after the treatment. Considering the promising safety results of the investigational product for the treatment of massive Africanized honeybee attacks, added to efficacy in clinical improvement and immediate decrease in blood venom level, the AAV has shown to be safe for human use.Trial registrationUniversal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1160-7011, Register Number: RBR-3fthf8 (http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-3fthf8/).


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
Liudmila Fedorova ◽  
Kirill Lepik ◽  
Polina Kotselyabina ◽  
Elena Kondakova ◽  
Yuri Zalyalov ◽  
...  

Background Currently, the recommended dose of nivolumab for patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r сHL) is 3 mg/kg. Nevertheless, published clinical cases indicate the possible efficacy of lower doses of nivolumab. Moreover, experimental studies provided the rationale for possible reduction of nivolumab dose in patients with solid tumors (Agrawal et al. 2016). The presented data creates prerequisites for studying the lower nivolumab doses efficacy and safety in the r/r cHL therapy. Patients and Methods This study included 42 patients (14 male/28 female) with r/r cHL who were treated with nivolumab 40 mg every 2 weeks. The median age of patients was 36 (22-53) years. The median number of prior therapy lines was 4 (2-7). Prior treatment contained high dose chemotherapy with ASCT in 9 pts (21%), brentuximab vedotin in 14 pts (33%) and allo-HSCT in 1 pt (2%). Four pts (9,5%) had the partial response (PR) and the remaining 38 pts (90,5%) had the disease progression (PD) at the moment of nivolumab initiation. B-symptoms were present in 23 pts (55%), ECOG status was grade 0-I in 25 pts (59,5%), grade II in 12 pts (29%), grade III in 4 pts (9,5%) and grade IV in 1 pt (2%). The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR) determined by positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using LYRIC criteria every 3 months. Key secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Adverse events (AE) were evaluated according to CTCAE 4.03. The patient group characteristics were evaluated using descriptive statistics methods, the survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meyer method (SPSS Statistics v.17). Results The median number of nivolumab cycles was 24 (2-38). The response was evaluated in 41 out of 42 pts. The ORR was 66%. The best response included complete response (CR) in 39%, PR in 27%, stable disease in 5%, PD in 2%, indeterminate response (IR) in 27% of pts. With a median follow-up of 27,5 mo (11,3-34,5) 41 pts (97,6%) were alive, the median OS was not reached. The 2-year PFS was 44,5% (95% CI, 28,2-59,6) The nivolumab therapy was discontinued in 39 pts (93%) due to scheduled discontinuation in 14 pts (33%), PD in 13 pts (31%), grade 3-4 AE in 2 pts (5%), change of therapy because of insufficient response in 6 pts (14%) and other reasons in 4 pts (10%). The progression of disease during nivolumab therapy was present in 14 (33%) pts and after nivolumab discontinuation in 6 (14%) pts. After disease progression 30 pts (71%) were retreated with nivolumab monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. The median time to additional therapy was 14,5 mo (4,2 -32,9). The adverse events of any severity were observed in 30 pts (71%). Grade 3 or higher AE were present in 4 pts (9,5%), including grade 3 arthralgia, grade 3 anemia, grade 4 pneumonia and pneumonitis, grade 4 increased level of alanine aminotransferase and grade 5 MDS in 1 pt. A significant reduction of PD1+CD3+ cell population of peripheral blood lymphocytes was observed after first nivolumab cycle (median 0.7% (0-1.7) versus 33% (15.7-80.1) before therapy initiation, p = 0.02, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Conclusion Our study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab 40 mg therapy. The presented results are comparable to previously published data of nivolumab 3 mg/kg therapy in patients with r/r cHL. Thus, this creates a basis for further direct comparative study of nivolumab efficacy in different doses Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Tran ◽  
Simone E. Taylor ◽  
Andrew Hardidge ◽  
Elise Mitri ◽  
Parnaz Aminian ◽  
...  

Background: Medication errors commonly occur when patients move from the community into hospital. Whereas medication reconciliation by pharmacists can detect errors, delays in undertaking this can increase the risk that patients receive incorrect admission medication regimens. Orthopedic patients are an at-risk group because they are often elderly and use multiple medications. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and nature of medication errors when patients are admitted to an orthopedic unit where pharmacists routinely undertake postprescribing medication reconciliation. Methods: A 10-week retrospective observational study was conducted at a major metropolitan hospital in Australia. Medication records of orthopedic inpatients were evaluated to determine the number of prescribing and administration errors associated with patients’ preadmission medications and the number of related adverse events that occurred within 72 hours of admission. Results: Preadmission, 198 patients were taking at least 1 regular medication, of whom 176 (88.9%) experienced at least 1 medication error. The median number of errors per patient was 6 (interquartile range 3-10). Unintended omission of a preadmission medication was the most common prescribing error (87.4%). There were 17 adverse events involving 24 medications in 16 (8.1%) patients that were potentially related to medication errors; 6 events were deemed moderate consequence (moderate injury or harm, increased length of stay, or cancelled/delayed treatment), and the remainder were minor. Conclusion and Relevance: Medication errors were common when orthopedic patients were admitted to hospital, despite postprescribing pharmacist medication reconciliation. Some of these errors led to patient harm. Interventions that ensure that medications are prescribed correctly at admission are required.


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19010-e19010
Author(s):  
Constantine Nick Logothetis ◽  
Chetasi Talati ◽  
Gregoire Calon ◽  
Nathan P Horvat ◽  
Virginia Olivia Volpe ◽  
...  

e19010 Background: Recent studies showed that IDH1/2 are frequently mutated in AML and that aberrant 2-HG elevation driven by the mutant IDH1/2 proteins plays a pivotal role in AML development. Subsequent clinical trials of IDH1/2 inhibitors demonstrated promising outcomes in IDH1/2mut AML patients. In this single institutional retrospective study, we explored the efficacy and safety outcomes of IDH1/2mut AML patients treated with Ivosidenib or Enasidenib. Methods: We retrospectively identified AML patients who had IDH1/2 somatic mutations based on NGS assessments. Clinical and demographic data were extracted from the medical records. Statistical analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism (v.7.03) and SPSS (v.24.0). Results: A total of 43 ( IDH1mut, n = 12; IDH2mut, n = 33; both IDH1/2mut, n = 2) patients were included in the study. Median age at AML diagnosis was 67.6 (24.2-83.3) years and 24 (55.8%) patients were male. Eighteen (42%) patients had secondary AML and 13 (34.2%), 17 (44.7%), and 8 (21.1%) patients had favorable, intermediate, and adverse risk, respectively. A total of 23 (53.5%) and 9 (20.9%) patients received intensive chemotherapy and hypomethylating agents as their 1st line therapy. One patient received Enasidenib as the 1st line therapy and the rest of the patients had relapsed/refractory disease prior to IDH1/2 inhibitor therapy. Median number of treatment prior to IDH1/2 inhibitors was 4 (0-8). The median duration of IDH1/2 inhibitor treatment was 3.2 (0.2-31.6) months ( IDH1 mut, 2.5 [0.7-13.5]; IDH2 mut, 3.4 [0.2-31.6]). Treatment response was assessed in 38 patients and 18 had overall response (CR, n = 7 [18.4%]; PR, n = 11 [28.9%]). Among these, 13 patients had concurrent somatic mutations in FLT3, KRAS, NRAS, or PTPN11. The overall response rate in these patients was not statistically different compared to patients who did not have these mutations (38.5% vs. 40%, p > 0.05). The median PFS was 3.9 (0.4-14.7) months ( IDH1 mut, 5.6 [1.7-11.5] vs. IDH2 mut, 3.7 [0.4-14.7], p > 0.05) and median OS was 7.6 (0.4-44.1) months. The most common reason for IDH1/2 inhibitor discontinuation was disease progression (n = 21) followed by adverse events (n = 3) and allogeneic transplant (n = 2). The adverse events were assessed in 41 patients and the most common adverse events were differentiation syndrome ( IDH1 mut, n = 3; IDH2 mut, n = 5) and leukocytosis ( IDH1 mut, n = 4; IDH2 mut, n = 4) followed by hepatic toxicity ( IDH2 mut n = 7), and QTc prolongation ( IDH1 mut, n = 3). Conclusions: Our study indicates that IDH1/2 inhibitors remain a reasonable option for the refractory/relapsed IDH1/2mut AML. However, significant number of patients failed to show any response and many of the patients who showed initial response had short response duration. These findings warrant further studies to identify underlying resistance mechanisms of IDH1/2 inhibitors and the optimal combination therapeutic strategies.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengcheng Christine Zhang ◽  
Lukas Liesenfeld ◽  
Rosa Klotz ◽  
Ronald Koschny ◽  
Christian Rupp ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundAnastomotic leakage (AL) in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Especially intrathoracic anastomotic leakage leads to life-threatening adverse events. Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) for anastomotic leakage after transthoracic esophageal resection represents a novel concept. However, sound clinical data are still scarce. This prospective, single-center study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of EVT for intrathoracic anastomotic leakage following abdomino-thoracic esophageal resection. MethodsFrom March 2014 to September 2019 259 consecutive patients underwent elective transthoracic esophageal resection. 72 patients (27,8 %) suffered from AL. The overall collective in-hospital mortality rate was 3.9% (n=10). Data from those who underwent treatment with EVT were included. ResultsFifty-five patients were treated with EVT. Successful closure was achieved in 89.1% (n=49) by EVT only. The EVT-associated adverse event rate was 5.4% (n=3): bleeding occurred in one patient, while minor sedation-related adverse events were observed in two patients. The median number of EVT procedures per patient was 3. The procedures were performed at intervals of 3-5 days, with a 14-day median duration of therapy. The mortality rate of patients with AL was 7.2% (n=4). Despite successfully terminated EVT, three patients died because of multiple organ failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and urosepsis (5.4%). One patient (1.8%) died during EVT due to cardiac arrest. ConclusionsEVT is a safe and effective approach for intrathoracic anastomotic leakages following abdomino-thoracic esophageal resections. It offers a high leakage-closure rate and the potential to lower leakage-related mortalities.


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