EMA: Use modafinil only for narcolepsy

The European Medicines Agency recommended restricting the use of modafinil for narcolepsy only. “The European Medicines Agency has recommended restricting the use of modafinil-containing medicines. The medicine should only be used to treat sleepiness associated with narcolepsy. Doctors and patients should no longer use the medicine for the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia, excessive sleepiness associated with […]

Thrombolytic agents: mechanism of action, indications, contraindications and side effects

Thrombolytic agents are used to lyse already formed blood clots in clinical settings where ischemia may be fatal ( acute mycardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, ischemic stroke, and arterial thrombosis). Very precise indications rule the use of these drugs, which are not free from serious side effects ( bleeding). Outline: Mechanism of action of thrombolytic therapy […]

Video lecture: Biologic therapies for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

Dr. Chan explains how biologic therapy (mainly through monoclonal antibodies) is changing the present and future of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. He illustrates some examples of autoimmune diseases such as: multiple sclerosis, asthma, treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with etanercept, and others.

Pharmacologic treatment of Migraine. Part 1: pathophysiology and clinical features

This is the introduction to a series of three posts on the pharmacological treatment of migraine. Part 2 will explore agents used in the prevention of attacks, while in part 3 drugs like triptans and ergot derivatives will be discussed. Introduction: classification of headaches Headache is one of the most common medical complaints in clinical […]

Podcast: dexamethasone for headache

Essential Evidence Plus, formerly InfoPOEMs is a service by John Wiley and Sons that aims to give physicians succinct medical evidence that will impact in their medical practice. In this podcast Dr. Ebell and Dr. Wilkes (National Public Radio) discuss the POEM titled: “Dexamethasone may prevent headache recurrence after treatment of acute migraine” You can […]

Carbamazepine (Tegretol) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome: the manufacturer recommends genetic testing

  The manufacturer of carbamazepine (Tegretol) updated the drug’s summary of product characteristics: ‘Before deciding to initiate treatment, patients of Han Chinese and Thai origin should whenever possible be screened for HLA-B*1502 as this allele strongly predicts the risk of severe carbamazepine-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome’ Health Canada warned in March 2008 about carbamazepine’s side effects in […]

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