49 Miscellaneous drugs and materials, medical devices, and techniques

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the adverse effects of miscellaneous drugs, materials, medical devices, and techniques. It has been suggested that there are individual differences in subjective responses to alcohol, and an exaggerated cardiac response to alcohol has been suggested to be a marker of increased sensitivity to its stimulant properties. Cerebellar degeneration has been attributed to alcoholism. The range of adverse reactions to bisphosphonates has been reviewed, with particular emphasis on the association between long-term treatment and osteonecrosis of the jaw, a potentially serious adverse effect that occurs mostly in patients with multiple myeloma or breast cancer. Cyanoacrylates are used in the manufacture of polymers and adhesives. They have long been thought to be linked to malignancies. Visual field defects have been reported after macular hole surgery with indocyanine green-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling in a retrospective review of 140 eyes, in 96 of which indocyanine green 0.25% was used. There were nasal visual field defects in 11 eyes, temporal visual field defects in 7 and concentric visual field defects in 1. In the group in whom indocyanine green is used, the visual field defects were far higher in the left eye than in the right. The authors speculated that the postoperative nasal visual field defects were caused by enhanced toxicity of indocyanine green, resulting from exposure to illumination. It is reported raised serum phosphorus and calcium are associated with arterial calcification and mortality in dialysis patients. Unlike calcium-based binders, sevelamer attenuates arterial calcification, but it is not known whether it affects mortality or morbidity.