Healthcare Traveler - September 2008 - (Page 40)

Drug Update Just In Duloxetine approved for fibromyalgia T H E L AT E S T D E V E LO PM EN T S I N R E SE A RCH Research identiﬁes new leukemia treatment option process while allowing healthy cells to get energy from respiration, Akers said. Rapamycin keeps cancer cells from coping with stress, thus resulting in cell death; and when the two drugs are combined, it creates a synergistic effect, she said. Eurekalert.org, “New drug combination brings 1-2 punch against acute leukemia.” 2008. www. eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/uotmndc.051508.php (16 May 2008). Error Watch Transdermal patches can cause confusion C Doctor’s Guide News, “FDA Approves Duloxetine HCl for the Management of Fibromyalgia.” 2008. www.docguide .com/news/content.nsf/8525710200 57CCF68525746A0050DBFD (16 June 2008). RN Corner Drug Update… Clinical Tips… 40 Healthcare Traveler September 2008 lonidine transdermal therapeutic system (CATAPRES-TTS) patches often do not include the name or strength of the drug on the patch itself, which can lead to errors if the dose of a patch is changed, or if the patient requires multiple patches, according to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). Patches can be worn for a week at a time, and numerous caregivers can interact with a patient during that time. Upon visualization, those caregivers cannot determine the drug or dose, or even whether it’s a medication patch or some sort of adhesive bandage. A nurse, therefore, can receive a new order for a patch or oral dose of clonidine and not realize the patient is already wearing a clonidine patch. The manufacturer suggests labeling the patch cover and placing it over the patch. Each patch also includes a code: BI 33 means it’s a 0.3 mg patch, BI 32 is 0.2 mg, and BI 31 is 0.1 mg. ISMP suggests you ask the pharmacy to add the code to the drug profile in its computer so it appears on computer-generated medication records for reference. Anonymous patches. (2008). Nurse Advise-ERR, 6(5), 3. 40 42 This department originally appeared in RN, a sister publication. For subscription information, call 800-284-8945 or visit www.rnweb.com. www.healthcaretraveler.com Photo: CDC/Stacy Howard T he U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved duloxetine HCl (Cymbalta), a serotoninnorepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, for fibromyalgia patients. Duloxetine already was approved for management of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, as well as for treatment of major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders. FDA approved the new on-label use after three-month clinical trials involving 874 patients with fibromyalgia, who took 60 mg doses of duloxetine HCl. Results showed that 51% of patients in one trial and 55% in the other reported at least a 30% improvement on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) 24-hour average pain scale, and 65% and 66%, respectively, showed improvement at the study’s endpoint, as measured by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). In four pooled studies, the most commonly observed adverse events in fibromyalgia patients treated with duloxetine HCl were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, decreased appetite, sleepiness, increased sweating, and agitation. A two-drug combination kills leukemia cells by shutting down their energy source and hastening cell starvation, according to new research from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The preclinical investigation found that combining a novel glycolysis inhibitor, 3-BrOP, with an mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, killed more than 90% of cells in human tissue cultures of acute lymphocytic leukemia. Lead researcher Lauren Akers, DO, a postdoctoral fellow at the Children’s Cancer Hospital at M.D. Anderson, presented the results of the study at the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology annual conference in May. Cancer cells are highly dependent on glycolysis, a process that turns glucose into energy for cells. The 3-BrOP inhibits that http://Eurekalert.org http://www.rnweb.com http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

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Healthcare Traveler - September 2008 Editor's Desk Contents In a Flash Paws for Thought Field Notes Regional Differences in the ED Joining Together Drug Update Clinical Tips Cityscape Advertiser's Index Name It Travel Tips Big Deals Tax Facts Dot.com Contest Rules Allied Corner Going the Distance Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - September 2008

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