Miscellaneous drugs, materials, and medical devices

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on miscellaneous drugs, materials, and medical devices. The use of aspartame results in Raynaud's phenomenon and fibromyalgia. Nerve conduction velocities had been within normal limits before the withdrawal of aspartame and were not repeated. Aspartame is completely hydrolysed in the gastrointestinal tract to methanol, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. It has been associated with other neuropsychological conditions, including brain tumors, mood disturbances, and seizures, but only anecdotally. Evidence of a causal connection with headache in susceptible individuals is more suggestive. Uveitis is an under-recognized albeit uncommon adverse effect of pamidronate. Hydrazine sulfate is sometimes promoted as an alternative cancer cure. It has been reported to cause liver damage Smoking is negatively associated with ulcerative colitis and positively associated with Crohn's disease; it is the most striking and firmly established epidemiological factor associated with the two conditions. Smoking also has opposite effects on the clinical course of the two conditions, with possible benefit in ulcerative colitis and a detrimental effect in Crohn's disease. Nicotine is probably the principal active ingredient in smoking responsible for these associations. The FDA has issued an urgent warning to all hospital pharmacies and hemodialysis units that triCitrasol, an unapproved formulation of sodium citrate that has been used as an anticoagulantto keep intravascular lines open, can cause death after intravenous infusion.