Development and inter-rater reliability of the Liverpool adverse drug reaction causality assessment tool

Drug related adverse event assessment in neonates in clinical trials and clinical care

INTRODUCTION

Assessment of drug-related adverse events is essential to fully understand the benefit-risk balance of any drug exposure, weighing efficacy versus safety. This is needed for both drug labeling and clinical decision-making. Assessment is based on seriousness, severity and causality, be it more difficult to apply in neonates. Adverse event detection or prevention in the neonatal clinical setting is also more complicated because of polypharmacy, and off-label or unlicensed pharmacotherapy.

AREAS COVERED

Tools became available to assess severity and causality of adverse events in neonates recruited in clinical trials. The first version of the Neonatal Adverse Event severity score (NAESS) reduced the inter-observer variability. Causality tools like the Naranjo score were also tailored to neonates. These tools are also instrumental to support proactive pharmacovigilance in clinical care, while multidisciplinary care teams and computerized pharmacovigilance using advanced data analysis, like machine learning are emerging approaches to develop effective decision strategies.

EXPERT OPINION

All stakeholders involved in development of medicines or its clinical use should be aware of the limitations of the currently available assessment tools. Extension and optimization of these tools, advanced data analysis approaches, and capturing the variability in time-dependent physiology are warranted to improve pharmacovigilance in neonates.

Drugs and the skin: A concise review of cutaneous adverse drug reactions

Drug-induced skin disease or cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) are terms that encompass the clinical manifestations of the skin, mucosae and adnexa induced by a drug or its metabolites. The skin is the organ most frequently affected by drug reactions, which may affect up to 10% of hospitalized patients and occur in 1-3% of multimedicated patients. Most CADRs are mild or self-resolving conditions; however, 2-6.7% of could develop into potentially life-threatening conditions. CADRs represent a heterogeneous field and can be diagnostically challenging as they may potentially mimic any dermatosis. Currently, there are between 29-35 different cutaneous drug-reaction patterns reported ranging from mild dermatitis to an extensively burnt patient. The most frequently reported are maculopapular rash, urticaria/angioedema, fixed drug eruption and erythema multiforme. Less common but more severe patterns include erythroderma, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis spectrum. Almost any drug can induce a CADR, but antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antiepileptics are the most frequently involved. Different mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of CADRs, although in some cases, these remain still unknown. CADRs could be classified in different ways: (i) type A (augmented) or type B (bizarre); (ii) immediate or delayed; (iii) immune-mediated or nonimmune-mediated; (iv) nonsevere or life-threatening; and (v) by their phenotype, including exanthematous, urticarial, pustular and blistering morphology. Recognizing a specific CADR will mostly depend on the ability of the physician to perform a detailed clinical examination, the proper description of the morphology of the skin lesions and supporting laboratory and/or skin biopsy findings.

Novel Genetic Variants Explaining Severe Adverse Drug Events after Clinical Implementation of DPYD Genotype-Guided Therapy with Fluoropyrimidines: An Observational Study

Fluoropyrimidines (FPs) are commonly prescribed in many cancer streams. The EMA and FDA-approved drug labels for FPs recommend genotyping the DPYD*2A (rs3918290), *13 (rs55886062), *HapB3 (rs56038477), alleles, and DPYD rs67376798 before treatment starts. We implemented the DPYD genotyping in our daily clinical routine, but we still found patients showing severe adverse drug events (ADEs) to FPs. We studied among these patients the DPYD rs1801265, rs17376848, rs1801159, rs1801160, rs1801158, and rs2297595 as explanatory candidates of the interindividual differences for FP-related toxicities, examining the association with the response to FPs . We also studied the impact of DPYD testing for FP dose tailoring in our clinical practice and characterized the DPYD gene in our population. We found a total acceptance among physicians of therapeutic recommendations translated from the DPYD test, and this dose tailoring does not affect the treatment efficacy. We also found that the DPYD*4 (defined by rs1801158) allele is associated with a higher risk of ADEs (severity grade ≥ 3) in both the univariate (O.R. = 5.66; 95% C.I. = 1.35-23.67; p = 0.014) and multivariate analyses (O.R. = 5.73; 95% C.I. = 1.41-28.77; p = 0.019) among FP-treated patients based on the DPYD genotype. This makes it a candidate variant for implementation in clinical practice.

Prediction of adverse drug reactions in geriatric patients admitted to intensive care units

INTRODUCTION

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) pose challenges in managing critically-ill patients with polypharmacy, potentially leading to Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs), particularly in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether the severity and clinical prognosis scores used in ICUs correlate with the prediction of ADRs in aged patients admitted to an ICU.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted in a Brazilian University Hospital ICU. APACHE II and SAPS 3 assessed clinical prognosis, while GerontoNet ADR Risk Score and BADRI evaluated ADR risk at ICU admission. Severity of the patients' clinical conditions was evaluated daily based on the SOFA score. Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) screening was performed daily through the identification of ADR triggers.

RESULTS

1295 triggers were identified (median 30 per patient, IQR = 28), with 15 suspected ADRs. No correlation was observed between patient severity and ADRs at admission (p=0.26), during hospitalization (p=0.91), or at follow-up (p=0.77). There was also no association between death and ADRs (p=0.28) or worse prognosis and ADRs (p>0.05). Higher BADRI scores correlated with more ADRs (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that employing the severity and clinical prognosis scores used in Intensive Care Units is not sufficient to direct active pharmacovigilance efforts, which are therefore indicated for critically ill patients.

Phytotherapy-Induced Hepatocytotoxicity: A Case Report

Herbal and complementary medicine are frequently integrated with conventional medicine. We aim to report a case of severe herbal-induced liver injury (HILI) due to chronic use of green tea and protein shake. We present both clinical and laboratory evidence implicating mitochondrial toxicity and an immune response leading to a hypersensitivity reaction to the products. We have recently treated a 39-year-old man with hepatotoxicity resulting from a combination of a green tea-containing powder and a branched-chain amino acid supplement that was commenced 2 months previously. The hepatotoxicity resolved by stopping the consumption of these products and no other cause was detected. We decided to perform a lymphocyte toxicity assay (LTA) to determine if there was laboratory support for this diagnosis. LTA (% toxicity) represents the response of the mitochondria to toxic injury. To determine the role of the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the patient's reaction, we measured the level of cytokines and chemokine in the media of growing cells, exposed to each product or to a combination of products. The increased cytokines and chemokines are presented as the x-fold elevations from the upper limit of normal (ULN) for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) (pg/mL × 1.5 ULN) and interleukin (IL)-1β (pg/mL × 1.8 ULN). Higher elevations were found for interferon (IFN)-β, IFN-γ, IL-8, IL 13, IL-15 (pg/mL × 2 ULN), regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES) (pg/mL × 2 ULN), and nuclear factor (NFκB) (pg/mL × 3 ULN). The highest increases were for vascular endothelial factor (VEGF) (pg/mL × 10 ULN), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) (pg/mL × 13 ULN). An examination of cellular markers showed the difference between programmed cell death (apoptosis) and cell death due to necrosis. In our case, cytokeratin-ccK18 (M-30) U/L was within the normal limits, suggesting that apoptosis was normal, while ccK8(M65) U/L was elevated at 1.5 × ULN. This result implies that upon the treatment of the patient's lymphocytes with the products, the mechanism of toxicity is necrosis. In susceptible individuals, the combination of protein and herbal tea produces mitochondrial toxicity and a strong T-lymphocyte-1 response, leading to HILI. There is a need of international reporting of adverse drug reactions by clinicians, laboratories, and pharmaceutical manufacturers to drug regulatory authorities. This requires internationally accepted standard definitions of reactions, as well as criteria for assessment.

Patients' Identification, Management and Prevention of Adverse Drug Reactions: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Patients with Severe Adverse Drug Reactions

Background: Few studies have been conducted on how patients identify, manage, and prevent severe adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This study aimed to explore the reasoning that patients use to identify symptoms of severe ADRs and the methods they employ to manage and prevent them. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using structured telephone interviews was administered to patients with a self-assessed severe ADR and to patients with serious skin ADRs from a hospital medical record database (in-patient and out-patient) from 1 September 2016 to 1 September 2019. Patients identified via the medical records were asked to assess their ADR for severity, and only patients that rated their ADR as severe were followed up with a telephone interview. Structured telephone interviews were conducted with respondents by a research pharmacist and audio-recorded. Results: A total of 722 patients with a severe ADR were identified, with 300 completing the interview (41.6%). The most frequently cited reasons for classifying ADRs as severe was worsening ADR symptoms (58.3%), severe ADR symptoms (44.4%), and ADR symptoms interfering with their life (36.4%). Only severe ADR symptoms were significantly different between the questionnaire and the medical records database groups (p = 0.007). The most frequent method of ADR management was discontinuation of drug by physicians (88.3%). About 79.0% of patients stated that they increased their carefulness when using other drugs after experiencing ADRs. The main method patients used to prevent ADRs was informing healthcare professionals (HCPs) about their drug allergy history (65.7%). Conclusions: Worsening ADR symptoms were often used to identify severe ADRs. However, HCPs were mainly responsible for the management and prevention of severe ADRs. Increasing awareness of ADRs by HCPs, and providing additional drug information, may improve patient safety.

Predicting Drugs Suspected of Causing Adverse Drug Reactions Using Graph Features and Attention Mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) refer to an unintended harmful reaction that occurs after the administration of a medication for therapeutic purposes, which is unrelated to the intended pharmacological action of the drug. In the United States, ADRs account for 6% of all hospital admissions annually. The cost of ADR-related illnesses in 2016 was estimated at USD 528.4 billion. Increasing the awareness of ADRs is an effective measure to prevent them. Assessing suspected drugs in adverse events helps to enhance the awareness of ADRs.

METHODS

In this study, a suspect drug assisted judgment model (SDAJM) is designed to identify suspected drugs in adverse events. This framework utilizes the graph isomorphism network (GIN) and an attention mechanism to extract features based on patients' demographic information, drug information, and ADR information.

RESULTS

By comparing it with other models, the results of various tests show that this model performs well in predicting the suspected drugs in adverse reaction events. ADR signal detection was conducted on a group of cardiovascular system drugs, and case analyses were performed on two classic drugs, Mexiletine and Captopril, as well as on two classic antithyroid drugs. The results indicate that the model can accomplish the task of predicting drug ADRs. Validation using benchmark datasets from ten drug discovery domains shows that the model is applicable to classification tasks on the Tox21 and SIDER datasets.

CONCLUSIONS

This study applies deep learning methods to construct the SDAJM model for three purposes: (1) identifying drugs suspected to cause adverse drug events (ADEs), (2) predicting the ADRs of drugs, and (3) other drug discovery tasks. The results indicate that this method can offer new directions for research in the field of ADRs.

Causality Assessment Between Drugs and Fatal Cerebral Haemorrhage Using Electronic Medical Records: Comparative Evaluation of Disease-Specific and Conventional Methods

INTRODUCTION

A new algorithm for causality assessment of drugs and fatal cerebral haemorrhage (ACAD-FCH) was published in 2021. However, its use in clinical practice has not been verified.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the practical value of the ACAD-FCH when applying information available in clinical practice.

METHODS

The medical records of patients who died at the University of Tokyo Hospital in 2020 were reviewed, and cases with intracranial haemorrhage were selected. Two evaluators independently assessed these cases using three methods (the ACAD-FCH, Naranjo algorithm, and WHO-UMC scale). The number of 'Yes', 'No', and 'No information/Do not know' responses to each question by both evaluators were summed and compared. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated for each method using agreement rates and kappa coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Among 316 deaths, 24 cases with intracranial haemorrhage were evaluated. The proportion of ‛No information/Do not know' responses for each question was 35.6% (95% CI 31.4-40.6%) for the ACAD-FCH and 66.9% (95% CI 62.5-71.1%) for the Naranjo algorithm. The respective agreement rates and kappa coefficients were 0.917 (0.798-1.00) and 0.867 (0.675-1.00) for the ACAD-FCH, 0.708 (0.512-0.904) and 0.139 (-0.236 to 0.513) for the Naranjo algorithm, and 0.50 (0.284-0.716) and 0.326 (0.110-0.541) for the WHO-UMC scale, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest the utility of the ACAD-FCH when assessing death cases with intracranial haemorrhage. However, larger studies including intra-rater assessments are warranted for further validation of this algorithm.

Minimising Adverse Drug Reactions and Verifying Economic Legitimacy-Pharmacogenomics Implementation in Children (MARVEL- PIC): protocol for a national randomised controlled trial of pharmacogenomics implementation

INTRODUCTION

DNA-informed prescribing (termed pharmacogenomics, PGx) is the epitome of personalised medicine. Despite international guidelines existing, its implementation in paediatric oncology remains sparse.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Minimising Adverse Drug Reactions and Verifying Economic Legitimacy-Pharmacogenomics Implementation in Children is a national prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial assessing the impact of pre-emptive PGx testing for actionable PGx variants on adverse drug reaction (ADR) incidence in patients with a new cancer diagnosis or proceeding to haematopoetic stem cell transplant. All ADRs will be prospectively collected by surveys completed by parents/patients using the National Cancer Institute Pediatric Patient Reported [Ped-PRO]-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) (weeks 1, 6 and 12). Pharmacist will assess for causality and severity in semistructured interviews using the CTCAE and Liverpool Causality Assessment Tool. The primary outcome is a reduction in ADRs among patients with actionable PGx variants, where an ADR will be considered as any CTCAE grade 2 and above for non-haematological toxicities and any CTCAE grade 3 and above for haematological toxicities Cost-effectiveness of pre-emptive PGx (secondary outcome) will be compared with standard of care using hospital inpatient and outpatient data along with the validated Childhood Health Utility 9D Instrument. Power and statistics considerations: A sample size of 440 patients (220 per arm) will provide 80% power to detect a 24% relative risk reduction in the primary endpoint of ADRs (two-sided α=5%, 80% vs 61%), allowing for 10% drop-out.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The ethics approval of the trial has been obtained from the Royal Children's Hospital Ethics Committee (HREC/89083/RCHM-2022). The ethics committee of each participating centres nationally has undertaken an assessment of the protocol and governance submission.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05667766.

Causality, Severity, Preventability and Predictability Assessments Scales for Adverse Drug Reactions: A Review

The pharmacovigilance program of India (PvPI), after its inception, has been reliably acquiring force in bringing issues to light among the masses, healthcare professionals, the pharma industry, and clinical staff at hospitals. Adverse drug reactions are unintended events that occur after exposure to a drug, biological product, or medical device, and they may result in morbidity and mortality. It is critical to monitor the safety of drugs during the post-marketing phase to find long-term and rare ADRs, as well as ADRs in special populations and patients with co-morbidities that are not usually included during clinical trials. The definitive objective of pharmacovigilance is to collate data and analyze it. Assessing the causality between ADRs and drugs is necessary to decrease the occurrence of ADRs and to reduce the risk of drug-related ADRs. ADRs may lead to increased morbidity, increased hospital stays, and increased cost of treatment, resulting in compromised patient safety. Causality assessment is the evaluation of the likelihood that a particular treatment is the cause of an observed adverse event and establishing a causal association between a drug and a drug reaction is necessary to prevent further recurrences. Numerous methods available for establishing a causal association between the drug and adverse events have been broadly classified into clinical judgment or global introspection, algorithms, and probabilistic methods. These include the Swedish method, World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) scale, Naranjo's algorithm, Kramer algorithm, Jones algorithm, Karch algorithm, Bégaud algorithm, Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee guidelines, Bayesian Adverse Reaction Diagnostic Instrument, and so on. Despite various methods available, none of the causality assessment tools have been universally accepted as the gold standard. Naranjo's algorithm and WHO-UMC scales are, however, the most commonly used. Similarly, for preventability and severity assessment of ADRs, the Schumock and Thornton scale and Hartwig and Siegel's scale are most commonly used. Hence, we reviewed different tools and methods available to assess the causality, preventability, and severity of ADRs.

Prediction of adverse drug reactions in geriatric patients admitted to intensive care units

INTRODUCTION

Intensive care units (ICUs) pose challenges in managing critically ill patients with polypharmacy, potentially leading to adverse drug reactions (ADRs), particularly in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether the severity and clinical prognosis scores used in ICUs correlate with the prediction of ADRs in aged patients admitted to an ICU.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted in a Brazilian University Hospital ICU. APACHE II and SAPS 3 assessed clinical prognosis, while GerontoNet ADR Risk Score and BADRI evaluated ADR risk at ICU admission. Severity of the patients' clinical conditions was evaluated daily based on the SOFA score. ADR screening was performed daily through the identification of ADR triggers.

RESULTS

1295 triggers were identified (median 30 per patient, IQR=28), with 15 suspected ADRs. No correlation was observed between patient severity and ADRs at admission (p=0.26), during hospitalization (p=0.91), or at follow-up (p=0.77). There was also no association between death and ADRs (p=0.28) or worse prognosis and ADRs (p>0.05). Higher BADRI scores correlated with more ADRs (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that employing the severity and clinical prognosis scores used in ICUs is not sufficient to direct active pharmacovigilance efforts, which are therefore indicated for critically ill patients.

Anastrozole as a therapeutic option for gynecomastia in a person receiving antiretroviral therapy: Case report

A middle-aged Caucasian man living with HIV, clinically stable (viral load <20 copies/mL) on injectable antiretroviral cabotegravir plus rilpivirine every 2 months presented with a 6-month history of bilateral enlargement of the breasts associated with pain. His hormonal profile was normal, and no other underlying cause was identified. He was diagnosed with idiopathic gynecomastia. Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen recommended for gynecomastia and has been described in people living with HIV but can potentially induce the activity of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), reducing rilpivirine concentrations, which consequently may cause virological failure and resistance. This is the same for other antiretroviral agents majorly induced by CYP3A4. To date, there have been no reported cases of using anastrozole as a treatment for gynecomastia in people living with HIV or of its co-administration with antiretroviral. We describe the use of an aromatase inhibitor instead of tamoxifen in a person living with HIV, diagnosed with gynecomastia.

Azathioprine dose tailoring based on pharmacogenetic information: Insights of clinical implementation

Azathioprine is commonly used as an immunosuppressive antimetabolite in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, autoimmune disorders (such as Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis), and in patients receiving organ transplants. Thiopurine-S-methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytoplasmic trans-methylase catalyzing the S-methylation of thiopurines. The active metabolites obtained from thiopurines are hydrolyzed into inactive forms by the Nudix hydrolase 15 (NUDT15). The TPMT*2 (defined by rs1800462), *3A (defined by rs1800460 and rs1142345), *3B (defined by rs1800460), *3C (defined by rs1142345), *6 (defined by rs75543815), and NUDT15 rs116855232 genetic variant have been associated, with the highest level of evidence, with the response to azathioprine, and, the approved drug label for azathioprine and main pharmacogenetic dosing guidelines recommend starting with reduced initial doses in TPMT intermediate metabolizer (IM) patients and considering an alternative treatment in TPMT poor metabolizer (PM) patients. This study aims to assess the clinical impact of azathioprine dose tailoring based on TPMT genotyping studying the azathioprine toxicity and efficacy, treatment starts, and dose adjustments during follow-up, comparing TPMT IM/PM and normal metabolizer (NM) patients. It also studied the association of NUDT15 rs116855232 with response to azathioprine in patients receiving a tailored treatment based on TPMT and characterized the TMPT and NUDT15 studied variants in our population. Results show that azathioprine dose reduction in TPMT IM patients (TPMT*1/*2, *1/*3A, or *1/*3C genotypes) is related to lower toxicity events compared to TPMT NM (TPMT *1/*1 genotype), and lower azathioprine dose adjustments during follow-up without showing differences in the efficacy. The results support the hypothesis of existing other genetic variants affecting azathioprine toxicity.

Implementation of pre-emptive testing of a pharmacogenomic panel in clinical practice: Where do we stand?

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) account for a large proportion of hospitalizations among adults and are more common in multimorbid patients, worsening clinical outcomes and burdening healthcare resources. Over the past decade, pharmacogenomics has been developed as a practical tool for optimizing treatment outcomes by mitigating the risk of ADRs. Some single-gene reactive tests are already used in clinical practice, including the DPYD test for fluoropyrimidines, which demonstrates how integrating pharmacogenomic data into routine care can improve patient safety in a cost-effective manner. The evolution from reactive single-gene testing to comprehensive pre-emptive genotyping panels holds great potential for refining drug prescribing practices. Several implementation projects have been conducted to test the feasibility of applying different genetic panels in clinical practice. Recently, the results of a large prospective randomized trial in Europe (the PREPARE study by Ubiquitous Pharmacogenomics consortium) have provided the first evidence that prospective application of a pre-emptive pharmacogenomic test panel in clinical practice, in seven European healthcare systems, is feasible and yielded a 30% reduction in the risk of developing clinically relevant toxicities. Nevertheless, some important questions remain unanswered and will hopefully be addressed by future dedicated studies. These issues include the cost-effectiveness of applying a pre-emptive genotyping panel, the role of multiple co-medications, the transferability of currently tested pharmacogenetic guidelines among patients of non-European origin and the impact of rare pharmacogenetic variants that are not detected by currently used genotyping approaches.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Cases

Introduction

Drug-induced acute kidney injury (DI-AKI) is a frequent adverse event. The identification of DI-AKI is challenged by competing etiologies, clinical heterogeneity among patients, and a lack of accurate diagnostic tools. Our research aims to describe the clinical characteristics and predictive variables of DI-AKI.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Drug-Induced Renal Injury Consortium (DIRECT) study (NCT02159209), an international, multicenter, observational cohort study of enriched clinically adjudicated DI-AKI cases. Cases met the primary inclusion criteria if the patient was exposed to at least 1 nephrotoxic drug for a minimum of 24 hours prior to AKI onset. Cases were clinically adjudicated, and inter-rater reliability (IRR) was measured using Krippendorff's alpha. Variables associated with DI-AKI were identified using L1 regularized multivariable logistic regression. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC).

Results

A total of 314 AKI cases met the eligibility criteria for this analysis, and 271 (86%) cases were adjudicated as DI-AKI. The majority of the AKI cases were recruited from the United States (68%). The most frequent causal nephrotoxic drugs were vancomycin (48.7%), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (18.2%), and piperacillin/tazobactam (17.8%). The IRR for DI-AKI adjudication was 0.309. The multivariable model identified age, vascular capacity, hyperglycemia, infections, pyuria, serum creatinine (SCr) trends, and contrast media as significant predictors of DI-AKI with good performance (ROC AUC 0.86).

Conclusion

The identification of DI-AKI is challenging even with comprehensive adjudication by experienced nephrologists. Our analysis identified key clinical characteristics and outcomes of DI-AKI compared to other AKI etiologies.

Causality assessment of adverse drug reactions in neonates: a comparative study between Naranjo's algorithm and Du's tool

BACKGROUND

Algorithms for causality assessment of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are important in the management of adverse events, however, it is inconclusive which tool best suits pharmacovigilance in neonates.

AIM

To compare the performance of the algorithms of Du and Naranjo in determining causality in cases of ADRs in neonates in a NICU.

METHOD

This observational and prospective study was conducted in a NICU of a Brazilian maternity school between January 2019 and December 2020. Independently, three clinical pharmacists used the algorithms of Naranjo and Du in 79 cases of ADRs in 57 neonates. The algorithms were evaluated for inter-rater and inter-tool agreement using Cohen's kappa coefficient (k).

RESULTS

The Du algorithm showed greater ability to identify definite ADRs (≈ 60%), but had low reproducibility (overall k = 0.108; 95% CI 0.064-0.149). In contrast, the Naranjo algorithm showed a lower proportion of definite ADRs (< 4%), but had good reproducibility (overall k = 0.402; 95% CI 0.379-0.429). The tools showed no significant correlation regarding ADR causality classification (overall k = - 0.031; 95% CI - 0.049 to 0.065).

CONCLUSION

Although the Du algorithm has a lower reproducibility compared to the Naranjo, this tool showed good sensitivity for classifying ADRs as definite, proving to be a more suitable tool for neonatal clinical routine.

A "Bundle of Care" to Improve Anticoagulation Control in Patients Receiving Warfarin in Uganda and South Africa: Protocol for an Implementation Study

BACKGROUND

The quality of warfarin anticoagulation among Sub-Saharan African patients is suboptimal. This is due to several factors, including a lack of standardized dosing algorithms, difficulty in providing timely international normalized ratio (INR) results, a lack of patient feedback on their experiences with treatment, a lack of education on adherence, and inadequate knowledge and training of health care workers. Low quality of warfarin anticoagulation, expressed as time in therapeutic range (TTR), is associated with higher adverse event rates, including bleeding and thrombosis, and ultimately, increased morbidity and mortality. Processes and interventions that improve this situation are urgently needed.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the implementation of the "warfarin bundle," a package of interventions to improve the quality of anticoagulation and thereby clinical outcomes. The primary outcome for this study is TTR over the initial 3 months of warfarin therapy.

METHODS

Patients aged 18 years or older who are newly initiated on warfarin for venous thromboembolism, atrial fibrillation, or valvular heart disease will be enrolled and followed up for 3 months at clinics in Cape Town, South Africa, and Kampala, Uganda, where the warfarin bundle is implemented. A retrospective review of the clinical records of patients on warfarin treatment before implementation (controls) will be used for comparison. This study uses a mixed methods approach of the implementation of patient- and process-centered activities to improve the quality of anticoagulation. Patient-centered activities include the use of clinical dosing algorithms, adherence support, and root cause analysis, whereas process-centered activities include point-of-care INR testing, staff training, and patient education and training. We will assess the impact of these interventions by comparing the TTR and safety outcomes across the 2 groups, as well as the cost-effectiveness and acceptability of the package.

RESULTS

We started recruitment in June 2021 and stopped in August 2022, having recruited 167 participants. We obtained ethics approval from the University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences Human Research Ethics Committee, the Provincial Health Research Committees in South Africa, the Joint Clinical Research Centre Institutional Review Board, Kampala, and the University of Liverpool Research Ethics Committee. As of February 2023, data cleaning and formal analysis are underway. We expect to publish the full results by December 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

We anticipate that the "bundle of care," which includes a clinical algorithm to guide individualized dosing of warfarin, will improve INR control and TTR of patients in Uganda and South Africa. We will use these findings to design a larger, multisite clinical trial across several Sub-Saharan African countries.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/46710.

Adverse reactions to antimicrobials in pediatric patients admitted to a tertiary hospital: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Antimicrobials are widely used in hospitals and are often associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of ADRs caused by antimicrobials and classify them according to the type of reaction, the class of antimicrobials used, causality, severity and avoidability.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was carried out with paediatric patients for 6 months. Causality was verified using the Naranjo and Liverpool algorithms, the severity was verified with the adapted scale of Hartwig and the avoidability was verified with the Liverpool Avoidability Assessment Tool.

RESULTS

A total of 303 patients were followed, and 18.2% (55/303) of them had one or more ADRs during the hospital stay. Just over half of the patients (28/55) had diarrhea. The most used antimicrobials were beta-lactams and second-generation cephalosporins. Suspicions were classified mainly as possible 78.6% (55/70) according to the Naranjo algorithm, and as probable 48.6% (34/70) according to the Liverpool algorithm. The antimicrobial most involved with ADRs was cefepime. The risk of manifesting ADR was greater with the use of some antimicrobials such as clindamycin (relative risk (RR) 3.0, CI 1.67 to 5.4), as well as with the increase in hospitalisation days (OR 1.022, CI 1.008 to 1.036) and in the number of antimicrobials prescribed (OR 1.649, CI 1.360 to 2.001).

CONCLUSION

ADRs were observed in approximately one-fifth of patients and were mostly gastrointestinal, moderate, unavoidable and with variable causality, depending on the algorithm used.

Causality assessment of adverse drug reaction: A narrative review to find the most exhaustive and easy-to-use tool in post-authorization settings

BACKGROUND

The core motive of pharmacovigilance is the detection and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), to improve the risk-benefit balance of the drug. However, the causality assessment of ADRs remains a major challenge among clinicians, and none of the available tools of causality assessment used for assessing ADRs have been universally accepted.

OBJECTIVE

To provide an up-to-date overview of the different causality assessment tools.

METHODS

We conducted electronic searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database. The eligibility of each tool was screened by three reviewers. Each eligible tool was then scrutinized for its domains (the reported specific set of questions/areas used for calculating the likelihood of cause-and-effect relation of an ADR) to discover the most comprehensive tool. Finally, we subjectively assessed the tool's ease-of-use in a Canadian, Indian, Hungarian, and Brazilian clinical context.

RESULTS

Twenty-one eligible causality assessment tools were retrieved. Naranjo's tool and De Boer's tool appeared the most comprehensive among all the tools, covering 10 domains each. Regarding "ease-of-use" in a clinical setting, we judged that many tools were hard to implement in a clinical context because of their complexity and/or lengthiness. Naranjo's tool, Jones's tool, Danan and Benichou's tool, and Hsu and Stoll's tool appeared to be the easiest to implement into various clinical contexts.

CONCLUSION

Among the many tools identified, 1981 Naranjo's scale remains the most comprehensive and easy to use for performing causality assessment of ADRs. Upcoming analysis should compare the performance of each ADR tool in clinical settings.

An Electronic Algorithm to Identify Vancomycin-Associated Acute Kidney Injury

Background

The burden of vancomycin-associated acute kidney injury (V-AKI) is unclear because it is not systematically monitored. The objective of this study was to develop and validate an electronic algorithm to identify cases of V-AKI and to determine its incidence.

Methods

Adults and children admitted to 1 of 5 health system hospitals from January 2018 to December 2019 who received at least 1 dose of intravenous (IV) vancomycin were included. A subset of charts was reviewed using a V-AKI assessment framework to classify cases as unlikely, possible, or probable events. Based on review, an electronic algorithm was developed and then validated using another subset of charts. Percentage agreement and kappa coefficients were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity were determined at various cutoffs, using chart review as the reference standard. For courses ≥48 hours, the incidence of possible or probable V-AKI events was assessed.

Results

The algorithm was developed using 494 cases and validated using 200 cases. The percentage agreement between the electronic algorithm and chart review was 92.5% and the weighted kappa was 0.95. The electronic algorithm was 89.7% sensitive and 98.2% specific in detecting possible or probable V-AKI events. For the 11 073 courses of ≥48 hours of vancomycin among 8963 patients, the incidence of possible or probable V-AKI events was 14.0%; the V-AKI incidence rate was 22.8 per 1000 days of IV vancomycin therapy.

Conclusions

An electronic algorithm demonstrated substantial agreement with chart review and had excellent sensitivity and specificity in detecting possible or probable V-AKI events. The electronic algorithm may be useful for informing future interventions to reduce V-AKI.

Biomarker-guided duration of antibiotic treatment in children hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection: statistical analysis plan for the BATCH trial and PRECISE sub-study

INTRODUCTION

The BATCH trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial to compare procalcitonin-guided management of severe bacterial infection in children with current management. PRECISE is a mechanistic sub-study embedded into the BATCH trial. This paper describes the statistical analysis plan for the BATCH trial and PRECISE sub-study.

METHODS

The BATCH trial will assess the effectiveness of an additional procalcitonin test in children (aged 72 h to 18 years) hospitalised with suspected or confirmed bacterial infection to guide antimicrobial prescribing decisions. Participants will be enrolled in the trial from randomisation until day 28 follow-up. The co-primary outcomes are duration of intravenous antibiotic use and a composite safety outcome. Target sample size is 1942 patients, based on detecting a 1-day reduction in intravenous antibiotic use (90% power, two-sided) and on a non-inferiority margin of 5% risk difference in the composite safety outcome (90% power, one-sided), while allowing for up to 10% loss to follow-up.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics will be summarised overall, by trial arm, and by whether patients were recruited before or after the pause in recruitment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the primary analysis, duration of intravenous antibiotic use will be tested for superiority using Cox regression, and the composite safety outcome will be tested for non-inferiority using logistic regression. The intervention will be judged successful if it reduces the duration of intravenous antibiotic use without compromising safety. Secondary analyses will include sensitivity analyses, pre-specified subgroup analyses, and analysis of secondary outcomes. Two sub-studies, including PRECISE, involve additional pre-specified subgroup analyses. All analyses will be adjusted for the balancing factors used in the randomisation, namely centre and patient age.

CONCLUSION

We describe the statistical analysis plan for the BATCH trial and PRECISE sub-study, including definitions of clinical outcomes, reporting guidelines, statistical principles, and analysis methods. The trial uses a design with co-primary superiority and non-inferiority endpoints. The analysis plan has been written prior to the completion of follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

BATCH: ISRCTN11369832, registered 20 September 2017, doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11369832.

PRECISE

ISRCTN14945050, registered 17 December 2020, doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14945050.

The therapeutic concordance approach reduces adverse drug reactions in patients with resistant hypertension

Background

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) remain among the leading causes of therapy-resistant hypertension (TRH) and uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). We have recently reported beneficial results in BP control in patients with TRH adopting an innovative approach, defined as therapeutic concordance, in which trained physicians and pharmacists reach a concordance with patients to make them more involved in the therapeutic decision-making process.

Methods

The main scope of this study was to investigate whether the therapeutic concordance approach could lead to a reduction in ADR occurrence in TRH patients. The study was performed in a large population of hypertensive subjects of the Campania Salute Network in Italy (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02211365).

Results

We enrolled 4,943 patients who were firstly followed-up for 77.64 ± 34.44 months, allowing us to identify 564 subjects with TRH. Then, 282 of these patients agreed to participate in an investigation to test the impact of the therapeutic concordance approach on ADRs. At the end of this investigation, which had a follow-up of 91.91 ± 54.7 months, 213 patients (75.5%) remained uncontrolled while 69 patients (24.5%, p < 0.0001) reached an optimal BP control. Strikingly, during the first follow-up, patients had complained of a total of 194 ADRs, with an occurrence rate of 68.1% and the therapeutic concordance approach significantly reduced ADRs to 72 (25.5%).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that the therapeutic concordance approach significantly reduces ADRs in TRH patients.

Recurring Fatigue After Biologic Administration: Patient-Reported Data from the Dutch Biologic Monitor

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a common problem in immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) patients, significantly impacting their quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we describe the pattern and characteristics of fatigue as a patient-reported adverse drug reaction (ADR) of biologics, and compared patient and treatment characteristics with patients reporting other ADRs or no ADRs.

METHODS

In this cohort event monitoring study, the description and characteristics of fatigue reported as a possible ADR in the Dutch Biologic Monitor were assessed and analysed for commonly recurring themes or patterns. Baseline and treatment characteristics of patients with fatigue and patients reporting other ADRs or no ADRs were compared.

RESULTS

Of 1382 participating patients, 108 patients (8%) reported fatigue as an ADR of a biologic. Almost half of these patients (50 patients, 46%) described episodes of fatigue during or shortly after biologic injection, which often recurred following subsequent injections. Patients with fatigue were significantly younger than patients with other ADRs or patients without ADRs (median age for patients with fatigue, 52 years; median age for patients with other ADRs, 56 years; and median age for patients without ADRs, 58 years); significantly more often smoked (25% vs. 16% and 15%); used infliximab (22% vs. 9% and 13%), rituximab (9% vs. 3% and 1%) or vedolizumab (6% vs. 2% and 1%); and significantly more often had Crohn's disease (28% vs. 13% and 13%) and other comorbidities (31% vs. 20% and 15%). Patients with fatigue significantly less frequently used etanercept (12% vs. 29% and 34%) or had rheumatoid arthritis (30% vs. 45% and 43%).

CONCLUSIONS

IMID patients may experience fatigue as a postdosing effect of biologics.

Adverse Drug Reactions to Anti-infectives in Hospitalized Children: A Multicenter Study in Brazil

INTRODUCTION

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to anti-infectives affect especially hospitalized children and contribute to increased morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and costs in healthcare systems.

OBJECTIVE

To assess ADRs associated with anti-infective use in Brazilian hospitalized children.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted in 5 public hospitals over 6 months. Children aged 0-11 years and 11 months who were hospitalized for more than 48 h and prescribed anti-infectives for over 24 h were included.

RESULTS

A total of 1020 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 152 patients experienced 183 suspected ADRs. Most reactions were related to the gastrointestinal system (65.6%), followed by skin reactions (18.6%). Most reactions were classified as probable causality (58.5%), moderate severity (61.1%), and unavoidable (56.2%). Our findings showed that ADRs were associated with increased length of stay (P < .001), increased length of therapy (P < .015), increased days of therapy (P = .038), and increased number of anti-infectives prescribed per patient (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Almost 15% of hospitalized children exposed to anti-infectives presented suspected ADRs. Their occurrence was classified as probable, of moderate severity, and unavoidable. ADRs were significantly influenced by the length of hospital stay and the number of anti-infectives prescribed per patient.

Early Detection of Adverse Drug Reaction Signals by Association Rule Mining Using Large-Scale Administrative Claims Data

INTRODUCTION

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a leading cause of mortality worldwide and should be detected promptly to reduce health risks to patients. A data-mining approach using large-scale medical records might be a useful method for the early detection of ADRs. Many studies have analyzed medical records to detect ADRs; however, most of them have focused on a narrow range of ADRs, limiting their usefulness.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify methods for the early detection of a wide range of ADR signals.

METHODS

First, to evaluate the performance in signal detection of ADRs by data-mining, we attempted to create a gold standard based on clinical evidence. Second, association rule mining (ARM) was applied to patient symptoms and medications registered in claims data, followed by evaluating ADR signal detection performance.

RESULTS

We created a new gold standard consisting of 92 positive and 88 negative controls. In the assessment of ARM using claims data, the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve and the precision-recall curve were 0.80 and 0.83, respectively. If the detection criteria were defined as lift > 1, conviction > 1, and p-value < 0.05, ARM could identify 156 signals, of which 90 were true positive controls (sensitivity: 0.98, specificity: 0.25). Evaluation of the capability of ARM with short periods of data revealed that ARM could detect a greater number of positive controls than the conventional analysis method.

CONCLUSIONS

ARM of claims data may be effective in the early detection of a wide range of ADR signals.

Which Adverse Events and Which Drugs Are Implicated in Drug-Related Hospital Admissions? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Adverse drug events (ADEs) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are leading causes of iatrogenic injury, which can result in emergency department (ED) visits or admissions to inpatient wards. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide up-to-date estimates of the prevalence of (preventable) drug-related ED visits and hospital admissions, as well as the type and prevalence of implicated ADRs/ADEs and drugs. A literature search of studies published between January 2012 and December 2021 was performed in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Retrospective and prospective observational studies investigating acute admissions to EDs or inpatient wards due to ADRs or ADEs in the general population were included. Meta-analyses of prevalence rates were conducted using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) with the random-effect method. Seventeen studies reporting ADRs and/or ADEs were eligible for inclusion. The prevalence rates of ADR- and ADE-related admissions to EDs or inpatient wards were estimated at 8.3% ([95% CI, 6.4-10.7%]) and 13.9% ([95% CI, 8.1-22.8%]), respectively, of which almost half (ADRs: 44.7% [95% CI: 28.1; 62.4]) and more than two thirds (ADEs: 71.0% [95% CI, 65.9-75.6%]) had been classified as at least possibly preventable. The ADR categories most frequently implicated in ADR-related admissions were gastrointestinal disorders, electrolyte disturbances, bleeding events, and renal and urinary disorders. Nervous system drugs were found to be the most commonly implicated drug groups, followed by cardiovascular and antithrombotic agents. Our findings demonstrate that ADR-related admissions to EDs and inpatient wards still represent a major and often preventable health care problem. In comparison to previous systematic reviews, cardiovascular and antithrombotic drugs remain common causes of drug-related admissions, while nervous system drugs appear to have become more commonly implicated. These developments may be considered in future efforts to improve medication safety in primary care.

A 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel to prevent adverse drug reactions: an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised crossover implementation study

BACKGROUND

The benefit of pharmacogenetic testing before starting drug therapy has been well documented for several single gene-drug combinations. However, the clinical utility of a pre-emptive genotyping strategy using a pharmacogenetic panel has not been rigorously assessed.

METHODS

We conducted an open-label, multicentre, controlled, cluster-randomised, crossover implementation study of a 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel in 18 hospitals, nine community health centres, and 28 community pharmacies in seven European countries (Austria, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and the UK). Patients aged 18 years or older receiving a first prescription for a drug clinically recommended in the guidelines of the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (ie, the index drug) as part of routine care were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion criteria included previous genetic testing for a gene relevant to the index drug, a planned duration of treatment of less than 7 consecutive days, and severe renal or liver insufficiency. All patients gave written informed consent before taking part in the study. Participants were genotyped for 50 germline variants in 12 genes, and those with an actionable variant (ie, a drug-gene interaction test result for which the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group [DPWG] recommended a change to standard-of-care drug treatment) were treated according to DPWG recommendations. Patients in the control group received standard treatment. To prepare clinicians for pre-emptive pharmacogenetic testing, local teams were educated during a site-initiation visit and online educational material was made available. The primary outcome was the occurrence of clinically relevant adverse drug reactions within the 12-week follow-up period. Analyses were irrespective of patient adherence to the DPWG guidelines. The primary analysis was done using a gatekeeping analysis, in which outcomes in people with an actionable drug-gene interaction in the study group versus the control group were compared, and only if the difference was statistically significant was an analysis done that included all of the patients in the study. Outcomes were compared between the study and control groups, both for patients with an actionable drug-gene interaction test result (ie, a result for which the DPWG recommended a change to standard-of-care drug treatment) and for all patients who received at least one dose of index drug. The safety analysis included all participants who received at least one dose of a study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03093818 and is closed to new participants.

FINDINGS

Between March 7, 2017, and June 30, 2020, 41 696 patients were assessed for eligibility and 6944 (51·4 % female, 48·6% male; 97·7% self-reported European, Mediterranean, or Middle Eastern ethnicity) were enrolled and assigned to receive genotype-guided drug treatment (n=3342) or standard care (n=3602). 99 patients (52 [1·6%] of the study group and 47 [1·3%] of the control group) withdrew consent after group assignment. 652 participants (367 [11·0%] in the study group and 285 [7·9%] in the control group) were lost to follow-up. In patients with an actionable test result for the index drug (n=1558), a clinically relevant adverse drug reaction occurred in 152 (21·0%) of 725 patients in the study group and 231 (27·7%) of 833 patients in the control group (odds ratio [OR] 0·70 [95% CI 0·54-0·91]; p=0·0075), whereas for all patients, the incidence was 628 (21·5%) of 2923 patients in the study group and 934 (28·6%) of 3270 patients in the control group (OR 0·70 [95% CI 0·61-0·79]; p <0·0001).

INTERPRETATION

Genotype-guided treatment using a 12-gene pharmacogenetic panel significantly reduced the incidence of clinically relevant adverse drug reactions and was feasible across diverse European health-care system organisations and settings. Large-scale implementation could help to make drug therapy increasingly safe.

FUNDING

European Union Horizon 2020.

Proton-pump inhibitor use amongst patients with severe hypomagnesemia

Introduction: Long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use has been associated with hypomagnesemia. It is unknown how frequently PPI use is implicated in patients with severe hypomagnesemia, and its clinical course or risk factors. Methods: All patients with severe hypomagnesemia from 2013 to 2016 in a tertiary center were assessed for likelihood of PPI-related hypomagnesemia using Naranjo algorithm, and we described the clinical course. The clinical characteristics of each case of PPI-related severe hypomagnesemia was compared with three controls on long-term PPI without hypomagnesemia, to assess for risk factors of developing severe hypomagnesemia. Results: Amongst 53,149 patients with serum magnesium measurements, 360 patients had severe hypomagnesemia (<0.4 mmol/L). 189 of 360 (52.5%) patients had at least possible PPI-related hypomagnesemia (128 possible, 59 probable, two definite). 49 of 189 (24.7%) patients had no other etiology for hypomagnesemia. PPI was stopped in 43 (22.8%) patients. Seventy (37.0%) patients had no indication for long-term PPI use. Hypomagnesemia resolved in most patients after supplementation, but recurrence was higher in patients who continued PPI, 69.7% versus 35.7%, p = 0.009. On multivariate analysis, risk factors for hypomagnesemia were female gender (OR 1.73; 95% CI: 1.17-2.57), diabetes mellitus (OR, 4.62; 95% CI: 3.05-7.00), low BMI (OR, 0.90; 95% CI: 0.86-0.94), high-dose PPI (OR, 1.96; 95% CI: 1.29-2.98), renal impairment (OR, 3.85; 95% CI: 2.58-5.75), and diuretic use (OR, 1.68; 95% CI: 1.09-2.61). Conclusion: In patients with severe hypomagnesemia, clinicians should consider the possibility of PPI-related hypomagnesemia and re-examine the indication for continued PPI use, or consider a lower dose.

Adverse drug reactions in an ageing PopulaTion (ADAPT) study: Prevalence and risk factors associated with adverse drug reaction-related hospital admissions in older patients

Background: Older people experience greater morbidity with a corresponding increase in medication use resulting in a potentially higher risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Objectives: The aim of this study was to; 1) determine the prevalence and characteristics of ADR-related hospital admissions among older patients (≥65 years) in Ireland; and 2) identify the risk factors associated with ADR-related hospital admissions. Methods: A cross-sectional study of ADR prevalence in patients aged ≥65 years admitted acutely to hospital in Ireland over a 8 month period (November 2016- June 2017). A multifaceted review of each hospital admission was undertaken to assess the likelihood of an ADR being a reason for admission (cause of admission or contributing to admission) in the context of the patient's medication, clinical conditions, comorbidities and investigations. A number of decision aids were applied by two independent reviewers to assess ADR causality, avoidability and severity. A random sample of patients, determined not to have a suspected ADR on screening, were assigned to a non-ADR control group. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between potential risk factors for ADR-related admissions compared with non-ADR-related admissions. Results: In total, 3,760 hospital admission episodes (in 3,091 patients) were screened and 377 admissions were considered ADR-related (10.0%, 95% CI 9.1%, 11.0%). 219 (58.1%) ADR-related admissions were caused by an ADR, while ADRs contributed to 158 (41.9%) admissions. 268 (71.1%) of all ADR-related admissions were deemed definitely or possibly preventable/avoidable. 350 (92.8%) ADRs were classified as being of moderate severity, with 27 (7.2%) classified as severe. Antithrombotic agents, mainly aspirin and warfarin, were the drugs most frequently associated with ADR-related admissions (gastrointestinal and vascular haemorrhagic disorders). In multivariable analysis, immobility, frailty, having delirium or ulcer disease and taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet medication on admission were significantly associated with an ADR-related hospital admission. Conclusion: One in ten hospital admissions, among those aged 65 + years, were considered ADR-related, with approximately 70% potentially avoidable. Reliable and validated ADR detection and prediction tools are needed to develop prevention strategies.

Clozapine in a Young Female with Drug-Resistant Schizophrenia: A Case Report of Development of Serositis

BACKGROUND

Clozapine may be considered the first-line option for treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), a condition that occurs in more than 30% of patients with schizophrenia. Despite its efficacy for treating TRS, clozapine use is limited by the occurrence of several adverse effects in more than 70% of cases. Clozapine does not typically affect lung function, although a few cases have been reported in the literature.

CASE PRESENTATION

To gain a better understanding of this rare event, here we report the case study of a young female with TRS, who was treated with clozapine and developed medium and bilateral pleural effusion relief with contiguous atelectasis and polyserositis. Two weeks after stopping clozapine, the follow-up chest scan showed complete remission of the pulmonary condition. We postulate that clozapine might have caused, in this case, a specific immunoinflammatory response leading to serosal complications.

CONCLUSION

Although the underlying mechanisms of this adverse effect are not completely understood, early manifestations, such as benign eosinophilia, fever, and flu-like symptoms need to be considered a potential warning to facilitate an early diagnosis and carefully manage pulmonary complications related to clozapine treatment.

Outpatient treatment and clinical outcomes of bacteriuria in veterans: A retrospective cohort analysis

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a contemporary detailed assessment of outpatient antibiotic prescribing and outcomes for positive urine cultures in a mixed-sex cohort.

DESIGN

Multicenter retrospective cohort review.

SETTING

The study was conducted using data from 31 Veterans' Affairs medical centers.

PATIENTS

Outpatient adults with positive urine cultures.

METHODS

From 2016 to 2019, data were extracted through a nationwide database and manual chart review. Positive urine cultures were reviewed at the chart, clinician, and aggregate levels. Cases were classified as cystitis, pyelonephritis, or asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) based upon documented signs and symptoms. Preferred therapy definitions were applied for subdiagnoses: ASB (no antibiotics), cystitis (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, nitrofurantoin, β-lactams), and pyelonephritis (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, fluoroquinolone). Outcomes included 30-day clinical failure or hospitalization. Odds ratios for outcomes between treatments were estimated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 3,255 cases reviewed, ASB was identified in 1,628 cases (50%), cystitis was identified in 1,156 cases (36%), and pyelonephritis was identified in 471 cases (15%). Of all 2,831 cases, 1,298 (46%) received preferred therapy selection and duration for cases where it could be defined. The most common antibiotic class prescribed was a fluoroquinolone (34%). Patients prescribed preferred therapy had lower odds of clinical failure: preferred (8%) versus nonpreferred (10%) (unadjusted OR, 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.95; P = .018). They also had lower odds of 30-day hospitalization: preferred therapy (3%) versus nonpreferred therapy (5%) (unadjusted OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37-0.81; P = .002). Odds of clinical treatment failure or hospitalization was higher for β-lactams relative to ciprofloxacin (unadjusted OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.23-2.90; P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians prescribed preferred therapy 46% of the time. Those prescribed preferred therapy had lower odds of clinical failure and of being hospitalized.

72 weeks post-partum follow-up of dolutegravir versus efavirenz initiated in late pregnancy (DolPHIN-2): an open-label, randomised controlled study

BACKGROUND

Late initiation of antiretrovirals in pregnancy is associated with increased risk of perinatal transmission and higher infant mortality. We report the final 72-week postpartum results for efficacy and safety of dolutegravir-based compared with efavirenz-based regimens in mothers and infants.

METHODS

DolPHIN-2 was a randomised, open-label trial. Pregnant women in South Africa and Uganda aged at least 18 years, with untreated but confirmed HIV infection and an estimated gestation of at least 28 weeks, initiating antiretroviral therapy in third trimester were eligible for inclusion. Eligible women were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either dolutegravir-based (50 mg dolutegravir, 300 mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, and either 200 mg emtricitabine in South Africa or 300 mg lamivudine in Uganda) or efavirenz-based (fixed dose combination 600 mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate plus either emtricitabine in South Africa or lamivudine in Uganda) therapy. The primary efficacy outcome was the time to a viral load of less than 50 copies per mL measured at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 weeks postpartum with a Cox model adjusting for viral load and CD4 cell count. Safety endpoints were summarised by the number of women and infants with events. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03249181.

FINDINGS

Between Jan 23 and Aug 15, 2018, 280 women were screened for inclusion, of whom 268 (96%) women were randomly assigned: 133 (50%) to the efavirenz group and 135 (50%) to the dolutegravir group. 250 (93%; 125 [50%] in the efavirenz group and 125 [50%] in the dolutegravir group) women were included in the intention-to-treat analysis of efficacy. Median time to viral load of less than 50 copies per mL was 4·1 weeks (IQR 4·0-5·1) in the dolutegravir group compared with 12·1 weeks (10·7-13·3) in the efavirenz group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1·93 [95% CI 1·5-2·5]). At 72 weeks postpartum, 116 (93%) mothers in the dolutegravir group and 114 (91%) in the efavirenz group had a viral load of less than 50 copies per mL. Of 57 (21%) mothers with a severe adverse event, three (2%) in the dolutegravir group and five (4%) in the efavirenz group were related to the drug (dolutegravir drug-related events were one woman each with suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, herpes zoster meningitis; efavirenz drug-related events were one woman each with suicide attempt and liver cirrhosis, and three people with drug-induced liver injury). Of 136 (56%) infants in whom severe adverse events were recorded, none were related to the study drugs. In addition to the three infant HIV infections detected at birth in the dolutegravir group that have been previously reported, an additional transmission in the efavirenz group occurred during breastfeeding despite optimal maternal viral suppression and serial negative infant tests in the first year of life.

INTERPRETATION

Dolutegravir was safe and well tolerated, supporting updated WHO treatment recommendations in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Infant HIV transmissions can occur during breastfeeding despite persistently undetectable maternal viral load highlighting the need for continued infant testing.

FUNDING

Unitaid.

Adverse drug reactions, multimorbidity and polypharmacy: a prospective analysis of 1 month of medical admissions

OBJECTIVE

To ascertain the burden and associated cost of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), polypharmacy and multimorbidity through a prospective analysis of all medical admissions to a large university teaching hospital over a 1-month period.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Liverpool University Hospital Foundation National Health Service (NHS) Trust, England.

PARTICIPANTS

All medical admissions with greater than 24-hour stay over a 1-month period.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of admissions due to an ADR and associated mortality, prevalence and association of multimorbidity and polypharmacy with ADRs, and estimated local financial cost of admissions where an ADR was a contributing or main reason for admission with projected costs for NHS in England.

RESULTS

There were 218 identified patient admissions with an ADR giving a prevalence of 18.4%. The majority of these (90.4%) were ADRs that directly resulted in or contributed to admission. ADRs thus accounted for 16.5% of total admissions. Those with an ADR were on average taking more medicines (10.5 vs 7.8, p<0.01) and had more comorbidities than those without an ADR (6.1 vs 5.2, p<0.01). Drugs most commonly implicated were diuretics, steroid inhalers, anticoagulants and antiplatelets, proton pump inhibitors, chemotherapeutic agents and antihypertensives. 40.4% of ADRs were classified avoidable or possibly avoidable. The mortality rate due to an ADR was 0.34%. The average length of stay for those with an ADR was 6 days. Direct 1-month cost to the Trust from ADR admissions was £490 716. Extrapolated nationally, the projected annual cost to the NHS in England is 2.21 billion.

CONCLUSION

The local prevalence of admission and mortality from ADRs is higher than previously reported. Important factors that could be contributing to this include polypharmacy and multimorbidity. ADRs place a significant burden on patients and healthcare services with associated financial implications. Reducing inappropriate polypharmacy should be a major aim for preventing ADRs.

Clozapine Rechallenge or Continuation Despite Neutropenia, an Extended Follow-up of a Consecutive Quebec Case Series

BACKGROUND

Clozapine is the most efficacious antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. However, clozapine-induced neutropenia may warrant treatment discontinuation, hindering recovery. Several case reports describe clozapine rechallenge or continuation despite neutropenia, although many are subject to selective reporting, with incomplete information and short follow-up periods. Thus, consecutive case series, devoid of such bias, with long-term comprehensive follow-up are needed to better assess this practice. This study aimed to describe consecutively the evolution of every patient in the Québec City catchment area for whom clozapine was either reintroduced after neutropenia during a previous clozapine trial or was maintained despite a first neutropenia.

METHODS

Patients were identified through clozapine's national hematological monitoring database and their medical records between January 1, 2000, and October 22, 2017.

RESULTS

Twenty-three patients were identified, 8 continued clozapine despite neutropenia, while 15 discontinued clozapine and attempted rechallenge; among the latter, 4 patients were successfully rechallenged after agranulocytosis without the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors, which is the largest published consecutively. A total of 6 patients experienced further neutropenia episodes. Every patient who had a neutropenia recurrence also had a possible explanation for neutropenia other than exposure to clozapine. After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 16 patients were still on clozapine and 3 cases discontinued because of a hematological event.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds further data on the subject of clozapine rechallenge or continuation despite neutropenia. Clozapine rechallenge after agranulocytosis may be less perilous than first thought, but a systematic review on this specific subject is needed.

Effectiveness of the Med Safety mobile application in improving adverse drug reaction reporting by healthcare professionals in Uganda: a protocol for a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has massively reduced HIV mortality. However, long-term cART increases the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which can lead to higher morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs for people living with HIV (PLHIV).Pharmacovigilance-monitoring the effects of medicines-is essential for understanding real-world drug safety. In Uganda, pharmacovigilance systems have only recently been developed, and rates of ADR reporting for cART are very low. Thus, the safety profile of medicines currently used to treat HIV and tuberculosis in our population is poorly understood.The Med Safety mobile application has been developed through the European Union's Innovative Medicines Initiative WEB-Recognising Adverse Drug Reactions project to promote digital pharmacovigilance. This mobile application has been approved for ADR-reporting by Uganda's National Drug Authority. However, the barriers and facilitators to Med Safety uptake, and its effectiveness in improving pharmacovigilance, are as yet unknown.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial will be implemented over 30 months at 191 intervention and 191 comparison cART sites to evaluate Med Safety. Using a randomisation sequence generated by the sealed envelope software, we shall randomly assign the 382 prescreened cART sites to the intervention and comparison arms. Each cART site is a cluster that consists of healthcare professionals and PLHIV receiving dolutegravir-based cART and/or isoniazid preventive therapy. Healthcare professionals enrolled in the intervention arm will be trained in the use of mobile-based, paper-based and web-based reporting, while those in the comparison arm will be trained in paper-based and web-based reporting only.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was given by the School of Biomedical Sciences Research and Ethics Committee at Makerere University (SBS-REC-720), and administrative clearance was obtained from Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (HS1366ES). Study results will be shared with healthcare professionals, policymakers, the public and academia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

PACTR202009822379650.

Toward Kidney-Specific Causality Assessment Tool

PURPOSE

Current nonspecific causality assessment tools lack the assessment of drug-induced acute kidney injury (DIAKI). We recently published an editorial letter for developing a specific causality assessment tool for DIAKI. The purpose of the present review was to suggest the possible required parameters and outline the path to developing a kidney-specific causality assessment tool (KSCAT).

METHODS

A stepwise approach for developing a KSCAT is important as this will be first version of this new tool. Thus, as a first step, we performed a screening of previously published articles on nonspecific and liver-specific causality assessment tools to define possible parameters. The suggested parameters for KSCAT fall into 3 categories: (1) drug-related; (2) kidney-related; and (3) terminology. A tri-polar method was then created that consists of definitive adverse drug reactions (ADRS), terminology, and without ADRS to suggest that the new KSCAT be efficient, specific, user friendly, and less time-consuming. Finally, a pyramid model is suggested to offer the perspectives of experts in the fields of pharmacovigilance, pharmacoepidemiology, and nephrology, as well as decision makers, while developing a KSCAT.

FINDINGS

Causality assessment tools, either nonspecific or organ-specific, fall into 3 categories: (1) expert judgment; (2) algorithms; and (3) probabilistic methods. None of the current causality assessment tools is sufficient for assessing the causality of kidney-related ADRs and for screening the expanded definition of ADR included in European Union Directive 2010/84/EU.

IMPLICATIONS

The causal relationship between drug(s) and DIAKI may be difficult and may not be assessed appropriately with the use of nonspecific tools or approaches. The aim of this article was to reiterate the need for KSCAT development and to propose the associated steps by stating the main principles: namely, the definition of ADR, suggested parameters to be included in the KSCAT, and integration of technology. Our ultimate desire is to invite experts to develop this new tool using an interdisciplinary approach and to benefit from our review in pursuing the next steps. The development of a KSCAT should start with regular and interdisciplinary consortium meetings of experts; the tool should then be tested for its usability, specificity, and practicality; and, finally, it should be used in real-life pharmacovigilance practices, as well as in research by health authorities, regulators, decision-makers, scientists, and clinicians. A KSCAT would support the provision of reliable and reproducible measures of the relationship likelihood in suspected cases of ADR to overcome uncertainty and provide a standardized approach. (Clin Ther. 2022;44:XXX-XXX) © 2022 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc.

Safety of Antibiotics in Hospitalized Children in Romania: A Prospective Observational Study

Antibiotics are among the most prescribed drugs in pediatric inpatients and are frequently associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children. This study aimed to assess the frequency and type of ADRs related to the use of antibiotics in pediatric inpatients through a prospective observational study, conducted over 6 months, covering the winter and spring seasons when the incidence of infections peaks in Romania. ADRs were evaluated for causality, avoidability and severity. Among the 266 included children, 25 (9.4%) experienced 30 ADRs. ADR frequency tended to be higher in ≤2-year-olds (13 of 25, 52.0%) than in other age categories. Gastrointestinal and hematological ADRs were most frequently observed. Diarrhea was the most common ADR associated with antibiotics (8 of 30, 26.7%). Ceftriaxone (16 of 30, 53.3%), cefuroxime, ceftazidime and azithromycin (3 of 30, 10.0% each) were most commonly responsible for ADRs. After causality assessment, 2 (6.7%) ADRs were considered definite, 12 (40.0%) probable and 16 (53.3%) possible. One ADR was classified as definitely avoidable and one as possibly avoidable. Seven children required treatment for ADRs. Antibiotic treatment was discontinued in 4 children. Antibiotics frequently caused ADRs in ≤ 2-year-olds and were commonly associated with gastrointestinal symptoms. Close monitoring of antibiotic-associated ADRs remains important in the pediatric population.

Evaluation of voriconazole related adverse events in pediatric patients with hematological malignancies

BACKGROUND

Despite therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacogenetic-guided dose selection are recommended for pediatric patients, safety of voriconazole is mostly monitored by clinical assessment. Having comprehensive knowledge of safety profile and distinguishing incidental events from the reactions that are truly related to voriconazole use are crucial for safer and uninterrupted treatment.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to address adverse reactions during the first month of voriconazole use by systematically evaluating retrospective records of all adverse events. Patients/Methods: It is a single-center, retrospective analysis of patients who received voriconazole from 1 September 2010 to 1 September 2020. Severity of abnormal findings in medical records were systematically graded. Causality between voriconazole and the events was evaluated by Liverpool Causality Assessment Tool (LCAT), Naranjo Algorithm and World Health Organization Causality Assessment System. The events with possible or probable causal relation to voriconazole are classified as adverse reaction.

RESULTS

Records of 45 patients included in the study. The overall frequency of adverse reactions was 51.1%. Hepatobiliary laboratory adverse reactions identified in 48.9% of the patients and led to treatment discontinuation in 20.0%. Amylase and lipase elevation (2.2%), ventricular extra systoles (2.2%), hallucination and nightmares (2.2%) were other adverse reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatobiliary abnormalities were the most common adverse reactions and the most common cause of treatment discontinuation. For safer treatment in critically ill patients, the dose should be personalized. To clearly identify the accurate frequency and the causality of all adverse reactions, prospective studies with much larger sample size are needed.

An Empirical Comparative Assessment of Inter-Rater Agreement of Binary Outcomes and Multiple Raters

Background: Many methods under the umbrella of inter-rater agreement (IRA) have been proposed to evaluate how well two or more medical experts agree on a set of outcomes. The objective of this work was to assess key IRA statistics in the context of multiple raters with binary outcomes. Methods: We simulated the responses of several raters (2–5) with 20, 50, 300, and 500 observations. For each combination of raters and observations, we estimated the expected value and variance of four commonly used inter-rater agreement statistics (Fleiss’ Kappa, Light’s Kappa, Conger’s Kappa, and Gwet’s AC1). Results: In the case of equal outcome prevalence (symmetric), the estimated expected values of all four statistics were equal. In the asymmetric case, only the estimated expected values of the three Kappa statistics were equal. In the symmetric case, Fleiss’ Kappa yielded a higher estimated variance than the other three statistics. In the asymmetric case, Gwet’s AC1 yielded a lower estimated variance than the three Kappa statistics for each scenario. Conclusion: Since the population-level prevalence of a set of outcomes may not be known a priori, Gwet’s AC1 statistic should be favored over the three Kappa statistics. For meaningful direct comparisons between IRA measures, transformations between statistics should be conducted.

Biomarker-guided duration of Antibiotic Treatment in Children Hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection (BATCH): protocol for a randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker more specific for bacterial infection and responds quicker than other commonly used biomarkers such as C reactive protein, but is not routinely used in the National Health Service (NHS). Studies mainly in adults show that using PCT to guide clinicians may reduce antibiotic use, reduce hospital stay, with no associated adverse effects such as increased rates of hospital re-admission, incomplete treatment of infections, relapse or death. A review conducted for National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends further research on PCT testing to guide antibiotic use in children.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Biomarker-guided duration of Antibiotic Treatment in Children Hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection is a multi-centre, prospective, two-arm, individually Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) with a 28-day follow-up and internal pilot. The intervention is a PCT-guided algorithm used in conjunction with best practice. The control arm is best practice alone. We plan to recruit 1942 children, aged between 72 hours and up to 18 years old, who are admitted to the hospital and being treated with intravenous antibiotics for suspected or confirmed bacterial infection. Coprimary outcomes are duration of antibiotic use and a composite safety measure. Secondary outcomes include time to switch from broad to narrow spectrum antibiotics, time to discharge, adverse drug reactions, health utility and cost-effectiveness. We will also perform a qualitative process evaluation. Recruitment commenced in June 2018 and paused briefly between March and May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial protocol was approved by the HRA and NHS REC (North West Liverpool East REC reference 18/NW/0100). We will publish the results in international peer-reviewed journals and present at scientific meetings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN11369832.

Drug-related emergency department visits in older patients: an applicability and reliability study of an existing assessment tool

BACKGROUND

AT-HARM10 is a research tool to identify possible drug-related hospital admissions. It is unclear whether the tool can be applied to emergency department visits as well.

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability and reliability to identify drug-related emergency department visits in older patients with AT-HARM10.

METHOD

A random sample of 400 patients aged 65 years or older from a clinical trial in four Swedish hospitals was selected. All patients' emergency department visits within 12 months after discharge were assessed with AT-HARM10. The main outcome measures were the percentage of successfully assessed visits for applicability and the interrater reliability (Cohen's kappa).

RESULTS

Of the initial sample (n = 400), 113 patients [median age (interquartile range): 81 (76-88) years] had at least one emergency department visit within 12 months. The patients had in total 184 visits, of which 179 (97%) were successfully assessed. Fifty-three visits (29%) were possibly drug-related. The Cohen's kappa value was 0.70 (substantial).

CONCLUSION

It seems applicable and reliable to identify possible drug-related emergency department visits in addition to hospital admissions in older patients with AT-HARM10. As a consequence, the tool has been updated to support its novel use in clinical research.

Incidence and nature of adverse drug events in paediatric intensive care units: A prospective multicentre study

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, nature, preventability and severity of adverse drug events (ADEs) across three paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in England.

METHODS

A prospective observational cohort study was conducted across three PICUs over a three-month period during 2019. Included patients were aged ≤18 years and stayed in PICU for a minimum of 24 hours. Identification of suspected ADEs was performed by trained PICU pharmacists. A multidisciplinary expert panel assessed causality, preventability and severity of events.

RESULTS

A total of 302 patients were included and 62 ADEs were confirmed (definite/probable causality). One in six patients experienced one or more ADEs. The estimated incidence of ADEs were 20.5 per 100 patients (95% CI 15.3-27.5) and 16.7 per 1000 patient-days (95% CI 9.3-29.9). The majority of ADEs were judged preventable by the expert panel (36/62, 58.1%). ADEs were commonly involved with medicines prescribing (29/62, 46.8%) and caused temporary patient harm (42/62, 67.7%). Medications for the central nervous system (14/62, 22.6%), infections (13/62, 20.9%) and cardiovascular system (12/62, 19.4%) were commonly implicated with ADEs. Multivariable analysis revealed that patients who stayed in PICU for ≥7 days (OR 6.29, 95% CI 2.42-16.32) were more likely to experience an ADE compared to patients with a stay of 1-6 days.

CONCLUSION

ADEs are common in English PICUs and most of them may be preventable. There is a strong association between ADE occurrence and duration of PICU stay, which represents a target for remedial interventions. Exploring contributory factors of preventable ADEs is now necessary to inform preventive policies.

Integration of Clinical and Scientific Principles in the Teaching of Drug-Drug Interactions

Evaluation of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) is an integral part of pharmacy practice worldwide. An understanding of the scientific mechanisms behind and the clinical implications of DDIs is important for proper management of pharmacotherapy. Here, we describe an integrated approach to teaching both aspects of DDIs as a standalone module in diverse course settings. These include on-campus and online delivery to international and local audiences in small and large classes. We describe the scientific, clinical, and integrated learning objectives of the module, and we show how these can be achieved through group projects based on published DDI case reports.

Orthostatic myoclonus - A retrospective study of Asian patients

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Orthostatic myoclonus (OM) is myoclonic jerks in both legs during standing. It may relate to gait unsteadiness and may be associated with various diagnoses, including neurodegenerative, systemic, and musculoskeletal diseases. Diagnosis is based on the surface electromyography (SEMG).

METHODS

From January 2016 to June 2020, we retrospectively reviewed 35 patients diagnosed with OM based on the SEMG criteria and analyzed the electrophysiological data.

RESULTS

The mean age was 75.3±8.9. Disease duration ranged from 2 days to several years. Genders were equally affected. The most common symptom was gait disturbance, and the next was leg tremulous sensation, followed by backward disequilibrium. 28.6% of our patients had falls. Electrophysiologically, bursting duration shorter than 100 ms supported the myoclonic origin from the cortex. The bursting activity occurred only on the upright and weight-bearing leg. The associated diagnoses included lumbosacral radiculopathy (28.6%), lumbosacral radiculopathy plus myasthenia gravis (2.9%), lumbosacral radiculopathy plus vascular parkinsonism (5.7%), diabetic polyneuropathy (5.7%), vascular parkinsonism (17.1%), Parkinson's disease (PD) (14.2%), normal pressure hydrocephalus (5.7%), medication-induced parkinsonism (2.9%), cervical myelopathy (2.9%), medication-related myoclonus (2.9%), and unknown (11.4%). In PD, OM was present before, along with, or after PD diagnosis. The myoclonic activity disrupted the parkinsonian tremor upon standing on SEMG.

CONCLUSION

OM is a syndrome instead of a diagnosis. It is more prevalent in the elderly with gait disturbance and patients will not necessarily fall. It is associated with central and peripheral nerve system disorders, systemic diseases, and medication use. We hypothesize that OM is a pathological disintegration of motor circuit.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: A Review of Diagnosis and Management

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are rare diseases that are characterized by widespread epidermal necrosis and sloughing of skin. They are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and early diagnosis and treatment is critical in achieving favorable outcomes for patients. In this scoping review, Excerpta Medica dataBASE and PubMed were searched for publications that addressed recent advances in the diagnosis and management of the disease. Multiple proteins (galectin 7 and RIP3) were identified that are promising potential biomarkers for SJS/TEN, although both are still in early phases of research. Regarding treatment, cyclosporine is the most effective therapy for the treatment of SJS, and a combination of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and corticosteroids is most effective for SJS/TEN overlap and TEN. Due to the rare nature of the disease, there is a lack of prospective, randomized controlled trials and conducting these in the future would provide valuable insights into the management of this disease.