Safety of Besifloxacin Ophthalmic Suspension 0.6% in Refractive Surgery: A Retrospective Chart Review of Post-LASIK Patients.

Safety of besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6% in refractive surgery: a retrospective chart review of post-LASIK patients.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

Clin Ophthalmol. 2013; 7: 149-56
Nielsen SA, McDonald MB, Majmudar PA

To evaluate the safety of besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6% when used in laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) prophylactic antibiotic regimens.Retrospective surveillance of LASIK surgery cases where besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6% or moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.5% were prescribed as prophylactic medications. Surgeons from nine US surgical centers provided retrospective case information on surgical outcomes from consecutive cases and reported any adverse events related to the antibacterial used. The primary endpoint was the incidence of adverse drug reactions.A total of 801 case reports (801 eyes; 534 besifloxacin, 267 moxifloxacin) were obtained. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age at time of surgery was 36.1 (10.6) years. The mean (SD) duration of antibiotic treatment was 8.6 (2.2) days in the besifloxacin group and 8.0 (2.3) in the moxifloxacin group; daily dosing frequency was higher in the moxifloxacin group preoperatively, on the day of surgery, and postoperatively. There were no reports of adverse drug reactions for the 801 eyes in this surveillance. There were no differences between the besifloxacin and moxifloxacin treatment groups in rates of unexpected corneal findings (2.1% vs 1.5%, P = 0.949). The distribution of final visual acuity for the besifloxacin and moxifloxacin groups were similar (P = 0.793). Most cases had a final visual acuity of 20/20 or better.In this retrospective surveillance study, the prophylactic use of besifloxacin ophthalmic suspension 0.6% and moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution 0.5% in patients undergoing LASIK surgery was not associated with any adverse drug reactions.
HubMed – drug

 

A clustered randomised trial examining the effect of social marketing and community mobilisation on the age of uptake and levels of alcohol consumption by Australian adolescents.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

BMJ Open. 2013; 3(1):
Rowland B, Toumbourou JW, Osborn A, Smith R, Hall JK, Kremer P, Kelly AB, Williams J, Leslie E

INTRODUCTION: Throughout the world, alcohol consumption is common among adolescents. Adolescent alcohol use and misuse have prognostic significance for several adverse long-term outcomes, including alcohol problems, alcohol dependence, school disengagement and illicit drug use. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether randomisation to a community mobilisation and social marketing intervention reduces the proportion of adolescents who initiate alcohol use before the Australian legal age of 18, and the frequency and amount of underage adolescent alcohol consumption. METHOD AND ANALYSIS: The study comprises 14 communities matched with 14 non-contiguous communities on socioeconomic status (SES), location and size. One of each pair was randomly allocated to the intervention. Baseline levels of adolescent alcohol use were estimated through school surveys initiated in 2006 (N=8500). Community mobilisation and social marketing interventions were initiated in 2011 to reduce underage alcohol supply and demand. The setting is communities in three Australian states (Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia). Students (N=2576) will complete school surveys in year 8 in 2013 (average age 12). Primary outcomes: (1) lifetime initiation and (2) monthly frequency of alcohol use. Reports of social marketing and family and community alcohol supply sources will also be assessed. Point estimates with 95% CIs will be compared for student alcohol use in intervention and control communities. Changes from 2006 to 2013 will be examined; multilevel modelling will assess whether random assignment of communities to the intervention reduced 2013 alcohol use, after accounting for community level differences. Analyses will also assess whether exposure to social marketing activities increased the intervention target of reducing alcohol supply by parents and community members. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ACTRN12612000384853.
HubMed – drug

 

Optimising drug prescribing and dispensing in subjects at risk for drug errors due to renal impairment: improving drug safety in primary healthcare by low eGFR alerts.

Filed under: Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation

BMJ Open. 2013; 3(1):
Joosten H, Drion I, Boogerd KJ, van der Pijl EV, Slingerland RJ, Slaets JP, Jansen TJ, Schwantje O, Gans RO, Bilo HJ

To assess the risk of medication errors in subjects with renal impairment (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ?40 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) and the effectiveness of automatic eGFR ?40-alerts relayed to community pharmacists.Clinical survey.The city of Zwolle, The Netherlands, in a primary care setting including 22 community pharmacists and 65 general practitioners.All adults who underwent ambulatory creatine measurements which triggered an eGFR ?40-alert. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The total number of ambulatory subjects with an eGFR ?40-alert during the study period of 1 year and the number of medication errors related to renal impairment. The type and number of proposed drug adjustments recommended by the community pharmacist and acceptance rate by the prescribing physicians. Classification of all medication errors on their potential to cause an adverse drug event (ADE) and the actual occurrence of ADEs (limited to those identified through hospital record reviews) 1 year after the introduction of the alerts.Creatine measurements were performed in 25 929 adults. An eGFR ?40-alert was indicated for 5.3% (n=1369). This group had a median (IQR) age of 78 (69, 84) years, and in 73% polypharmacy (?5 drugs) was present. In 15% (n=211) of these subjects, a medication error was detected. The proportion of errors increased with age. Pharmacists recommended 342 medication adjustments, mainly concerning diuretics (22%) and antibiotics (21%). The physicians’ acceptance rate was 66%. Of all the medication errors, 88% were regarded as potential ADEs, with most classified as significant or serious. At follow-up, the ADE risk (n=40) appeared highest when the proposed medication adjustments were not implemented (38% vs 6%).The introduction of automatic eGFR-alerts identified a considerable number of subjects who are at risk for ADEs due to renal impairment in an ambulatory setting. The nationwide implementation of this simple protocol could identify many potential ADEs, thereby substantially reducing iatrogenic complications in subjects with impaired renal function.
HubMed – drug

 

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