World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre Research Articles

Delphi study for developing a checklist of adverse events associated with acupotomy

BackgroundAcupotomy, a more invasive procedure than acupuncture, involves the use of a thicker needle with an integrated knife at the tip, necessitating safety research. We aimed to define relevant adverse events (AEs) and create a standardized form of the ACUPOtomy-related AEs CHECKlist (ACUPOCHECK). MethodsBefore conducting the Delphi process, a systematic review and pilot prospective study were conducted to gather information on previously reported AEs. Using these data, pilot versions of the ACUPOCHECK and Delphi questionnaires were developed. The Delphi questionnaire involved selecting types of AE for inclusion, establishing separate criteria for acupotomy-related AEs, and achieving a consensus on AE assessment. Thirteen Korean doctors with experience in acupotomy or AE research were recruited to participate in each Delphi round. Consensus was considered to have been reached if the critical value for the content validity ratio met or exceeded 0.538. ResultsThe final ACUPOCHECK was developed using four rounds of the Delphi method and one face-to-face consensus meeting. It included 12 local AEs (pain, hemorrhage, bruise, hematoma, edema, pruritus, rash, infection, nerve damage, dysesthesia, movement impairment, and pneumothorax) and 14 systemic AEs (disease aggravation, needle fatigue, sleepiness, procedural nausea, procedural vomiting, procedural headache, procedural dizziness, sweating, procedural shock, syncope, dyspnea, procedural pain, sleep disorder, and postprocedural infection). Separate criteria were established for pain, hemorrhage and bruising: pain was defined as pain that occurrs during daily activities and persists for longer than 72 h, hemorrhage as bleeding that continues for ≥ 3 min despite pressure application, and bruising as having a bruise with a diameter of ≥ 3 cm. Open-ended descriptions were allowed for AEs not covered by the checklist, and severity and causality were assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events and modified World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Center criteria. ConclusionACUPOCHECK provides a standardization framework that can help research on traditional practices as well as new tools and techniques that are more invasive and may cause more severe AEs. Subsequent studies will use ACUPOCHECK to develop rational safety guidelines for acupotomy techniques.

Immune-Related Adverse Events due to Concomitant Use of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Chinese Herbal Medicines: A Study Based on a Japanese Adverse Event Database.

Fatigue is an immune-related adverse event (irAE) associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) used for cancer treatment. Chinese herbal medicines (Ho-zai) are used to treat cancer-related fatigue. However, no interactions between ICIs and Ho-zai have been reported. Herein, we investigated the risk of irAEs associated with the concomitant use of ICIs and Ho-zai. We extracted data of patients who used ICI and Ho-zai from the Japanese Adverse Event Reporting Database. The proportional reporting ratio (PRR) was calculated for patients using ICI, Ho-zai, or both. We focused on cases of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and colitis, which were among the most severe cases of irAEs among these patients. The shrinkage method used by the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Center was used to detect the interactions. Of the 799,670 patients in the database, 77,219, 2060, and 92 were using ICIs, Ho-zai, and combination treatment, respectively. The ILD and colitis groups included 39,388 and 17,522 patients, respectively. ILD signals were detected for both ICIs and Ho-zai. There were 24 cases of patients treated with concomitant ICIs and Ho-zai who developed ILD. For all combinations of all ICIs and all Ho-zai, Ω025 was negative, which suggested no ILD-related interactions. Colitis signals were detected for ICIs except for atezolizumab, avelumab, and durvalumab. There were eight patients treated with concomitant ICI and Ho-zai who developed colitis. For all combinations of all ICIs and all Ho-zai, Ω025 was negative, which suggested no colitis-related interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate interactions between ICIs and Ho-zai. Signals were detected for ILD in both ICI and Ho-zai groups, and colitis in the ICI group. However, the combined use of these treatments did not increase the risk of irAEs.

Adverse Drug Reactions and Prescription Patterns of Antiretroviral Drugs: A Longitudinal Observational Study From a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western India.

Background In 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released interim guidelines, advising a change of regimens to dolutegravir-based first- and second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART), based on which, in 2021, the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) updated its guidelines to include the tenofovir+ lamivudine + dolutegravir (TLD) regimen as a first line of therapy for all people living with HIV (PLHIV) and second- and third-line regimens to dolutegravir-based regimens. Considering this change of regimen, the adverse drug reaction (ADR) profiling and longitudinal prescription pattern of antiretroviral and concomitant medications in adult patients at the ART centre of a tertiary care hospital were assessed in this study. Methods Ninety-seven PLHIV out of all the patients who attended the ART centre from September 2021 to July 2022 were enrolled and followed up for six months. The ADRs that occurred during this period were collected along with details of prescription patterns and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Causality assessment for ADR was done using the World Health Organisation-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) scale. Results Seventy-eight percent (n=76 out of 97) of patients experienced at least one ADR, and 128 ADRs were seen in 97 patients. The most common ADRs were increased alkaline phosphatase (39.0%, n=128), dyslipidaemia (12.5%, n=128), and nephrotoxicity (10.1%, n=128). The drug most suspected of causing ADRs was dolutegravir (27.5%, n=342). The most common therapeutic regimen was TLD (71.2%, n=97). The most prescribed drug was lamivudine (30.6%, n=1183). The most prescribed concomitant medication was cotrimoxazole (15%, n=312). Conclusions Dolutegravir-based regimens have been implemented for PLHIV in a phased-out manner from previous non-dolutegravir-based ART regimens, which is in line with the recent NACO guidelines. However, it has also led to an increase in dolutegravir-associated ADRs like increased alkaline phosphatase, dyslipidaemia, and nephrotoxicity. Continuous monitoring of prescriptions and ADRs can add to our knowledge regarding their use and ADRs.

Prevalence of urgent hospitalizations caused by adverse drug reactions: a cross-sectional study

Adverse drug reactions account for a substantial portion of emergency hospital admissions. However, in the last decade, few studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of hospitalization due to adverse drug reactions. Therefore, this cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the proportion of adverse drug reactions leading to emergency hospital admission and to evaluate the risk factors for these reactions. A total of 5707 consecutive patients aged > 18 years who were emergently hospitalized due to acute medical illnesses between June 2018 and May 2021 were included. Causality assessment for adverse drug reactions was performed by using the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria. The median patient age was 78 years (IQR 63–87), and the proportion of women was 47.9%. Among all the hospitalizations, 287 (5.0%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.5–5.6%) were caused by 368 adverse drug reactions. The risk factors independently associated with hospitalization due to adverse drug reactions were polypharmacy (OR 2.66), age ≥ 65 years (OR 2.00), and ambulance use (OR 1.41). Given that the population is rapidly aging worldwide, further efforts are needed to minimize hospitalizations caused by adverse drug reactions.

Comparison of WHO-UMC and Naranjo Scales for Causality Assessment of Reported Adverse Drug Reactions.

The 2 most commonly used scales worldwide are the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) and the Naranjo scales. The present study was planned to assess the degree of agreement between the 2 scales when the same adverse drug reactions (ADR) were assessed by 5 raters independently. One hundred individual case safety reports were selected randomly from the ADR database of our institute and the details were emailed to 5 different experts (raters), who were DM Clinical Pharmacology residents from different institutes in India. An independent causality assessment of these ADRs was performed independently by these raters using both the WHO-UMC and Naranjo causality assessment scales. The agreement between the 2 scales was assessed for each rater using Cohen κ, and the overall interrater agreement was assessed using Fleiss κ. The Cohen κ level of agreement between the 2 scales for the 5 raters were substantial, fair, substantial, moderate, and substantial, respectively. The most common causality assessment category as per WHO-UMC scale was "possible" but varied among the raters on the Naranjo scale. No ADR was categorized as "certain" by any rater on the Naranjo scale. The Fleiss κ value for agreement among the 5 raters was found to be 0.2 (slight) for the WHO-UMC scale and 0.297 (fair) for the Naranjo scale. A moderate level of agreement was observed in this study between the WHO-UMC and Naranjo scales. The level of agreement among these 5 raters was found to be similar for the WHO-UMC and the Naranjo scales, indicating a similar degree of subjectivity for the 2 scales. Hence, more robust and less subjective scales are required for causality assessment.

P839 Acute interstitial nephritis in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease treated with vedolizumab: a systematic review

Abstract Background Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) is a complication of drugs that may cause permanent kidney injury. AIN has been reported in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients treated with the anti-integrin inbibitor vedolizumab. However, systematically collected data on cases of AIN associated with vedolizumab treatment is lacking. We therefore, through systematic review of existing literature, aimed to identify and describe reported cases of AIN. Methods We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science Core Collection between January 1, 2009 and April 25, 2023. The search yielded 1473 publications after deduplication, for which titles and abstracts were screened by two independent reviewers. Of these, 75 publications were reviewed in full-text. Demographics and clinical characteristics of AIN cases were extracted. Case causality assessment was performed according to the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) system and the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale. Results were reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A prespecified protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database. Results Eight publications met the inclusion criteria and were included in descriptive analysis of AIN in patients with IBD treated with vedolizumab. A total of nine biopsy-confirmed cases of AIN were reported in six patients with ulcerative colitis and three with Crohn’s disease. The mean age at AIN onset was 36 years (range: 19-58). The majority of patients were females (n=6/9). Time from vedolizumab treatment initiation to AIN onset spanned from hours to 12 months. Common symptoms were fever, malaise, and myalgia. Creatinine levels were elevated in all patients (mean: 219 µmol/L; range; 133-410). Rechallenge after pause and treatment with corticosteroids were reported in three cases, where one attempt was successful. Five patients sustained permanent kidney injury. According to the WHO-UMC scale, six of nine cases were assessed as “possible” or “probable”, and the remaining three cases as “unlikely” or “unclassifiable”. Three patients were treated with concomitant mesalazine or proton pump inhibitors, which both are associated with an increased risk of AIN. Conclusion In systematic review of existing literature, we identified nine cases of biopsy-confirmed AIN in patients with IBD treated with vedolizumab. Our findings suggest that vedolizumab, although rarely, could potentially cause AIN in patients with IBD. Awareness of laboratory findings and symptoms consistent with AIN, along monitoring of the kidney function, could be warranted in patients with IBD treated with vedolizumab.

Bullous pemphigoid associated with the use of DPP4 inhibitors: A case series

Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are one of the most commonly used anti-diabetic drugs because of their established safety and efficacy. Bullous pemphigoid which is an autoimmune blister skin disorder associated with DPP-4 inhibitors is a recognized adverse drug reaction (ADR) reported in some Southeast Asian Nations but has not been reported earlier from India. It is an uncommon, serious treatment with emergent adverse effects. Here, we report a series of five cases of DPP-4 inhibitor Linagliptin-induced bullous pemphigoid reaction in Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. We are reporting five cases that showed various clinical manifestations in terms of gender (males 4), duration of diabetes (average 7.2 years), glycemic control (average HbA1C 6.7%), and latency period (average 3.6 weeks) for development of the ADR. Quality of life and treatment satisfaction were severely impacted by this ADR. Withdrawal of Linagliptin, use of topical and oral steroids and immunosuppressant like azathioprine were prescribed and effective for improving the lesions of all the cases. As per the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Center scale, causality was established as “probable” for all the cases. This case series serves to bring to the notice of prescribers regarding this important cutaneous ADR with the use of Linagliptin. This case intends to improve awareness among clinicians regarding the possibility of this cutaneous ADR among diabetic patients to facilitate early diagnosis and intervention.

Accuracy in patient-reported adverse drug reactions and their recognition: a mixed-methods study.

The causality assessment tool can be utilized to assist patients in identifying adverse drug reactions (ADRs). To evaluate the accuracy of the causality assessment tool for patients identifying ADRs compared to assessments made by pharmacists, and to explore how patients recall and recognize symptoms as ADRs. Mixed methods study consisting of self-administered questionnaires (phase 1) and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews (phase 2) with patients who had experienced ADRs in the past year at a tertiary care hospital in Thailand. Out of 769 questionnaires, 716 were returned and 622 of these were both valid and had at least one ADR (86.8%). Classification of patient-reported symptoms using the causality assessment tool found 12 (1.9%) highly-probable ADRs, 399 (64.1%) probable ADRs, 207 (33.3%) possible ADRs, and 4 (0.6%) that were not classified as ADRs. There was fair agreement between patient-assessed and pharmacist-assessed causality classifications using the Naranjo algorithm (K = 0.268) and the World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) criteria (K = 0.373). The timing relationship between the occurrence of symptoms and administration of a suspected drug was the most frequently mentioned reason that patients gave for recalling and recognizing suspected ADRs. Promoting the causality assessment tool for use by patients in collaboration with healthcare professionals is likely to enhance patients' ability to correctly identify ADRs and ultimately contribute to increased medication safety.

A cross sectional study to analyse the ADR reported in a hospital during the past three years

Introduction: Cross sectional study is a type of observational study that analyzes data from apopulation, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time-that is, cross sectional data. The causality appraisal is assessment of the probability that the detected adverse event is produced by a specific medication. The most commonly used causality assessment scales are Naranjo Probability Scale and the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) causality scales. The study is to analyze the adverse drug reaction reported in a hospital for the past three years. Aim: A cross sectional study to analyze the ADR reported in a hospital during the past three years. Methodology: A cross sectional observational study was conducted at Nirmala medical centre, Muvattupuzha. ADR reported in the past three years in this hospital were analyzed. Drug leading to ADR, department .gender, observed reaction, severity, Naranjo probability scale and WHO UMC causality assessment were done. Classification of drugs according to their drug class, classification of ADR according to the system, based on severity, sex, Naranjo score, WHO UMC criteria were done. The datas were analysed and represented into graphs. Result: A total of 342 ADR reports were analyzed in this study. The key findings of this study include: Skin-related ADRs were the most frequently reported, affecting 27.83% of cases. The majority of reported ADRs were of moderate severity (56.7%).Naranjo probability scale and WHO-UMC causality assessment indicated that most cases were in the probable category, with 63% and 76%, respectively. The general medicine department had the highest number of reported ADRs. Males accounted for the majority of reported ADRs (57.18%).Cardiovascular agents and antibiotics were the drug classes most commonly associated with reported ADRs, at 25.6% and 22.28%, respectively. Among cardiovascular agents, diuretics were found to be the primary culprits, causing 38.66% of reported ADRs. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of monitoring, assessing, and documenting ADRs in healthcare facilities, as it provides valuable insights into the prevalence, severity, and causality of adverse drug reactions. This information can contribute to improving patient safety and the rational use of medications in clinical practice.

Antibiotic-related adverse events and risk factors in hospitalized patients: a prospective cohort study

Purpose: The objective of this study is to identify antibiotic-related adverse events and risk factors in hospitalized patients.
 Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study included 776 inpatients who received antibiotic treatment between January 2019 and December 2020. Patients who experienced "definite" or "probable" adverse drug events (ADE) were examined using the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Center (WHO-UMC) criteria. The definition and severity criteria for antibiotic-related adverse events were determined according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE).
 Results: The overall rate of antibiotic-associated ADE was 7.9 (95%CI, 6.8-9.1) per 1000 person-days. The study identified a total of 152 adverse events in 125 patients who experienced ADE. Among the 152 adverse events, 63 (41.4%) were severe, and 89 (58.6%) were non-severe. Independent risk factors for ADE included the number of comorbidities (up to 4 times higher increased risk), number of drugs used, and duration of antibiotic administration (up to 12.3 times higher and 8% increased risk for each additional day). The most common side effects were hematological, with 45 (29.6%) cases reported in the hematological system advers events.
 Conclusion: The management of antibiotic durations, which is a controllable factor in the development of antibiotic-related adverse events, is crucial. Rational use of antibiotics is essential, not only in terms of preventing the development of resistance but also in terms of reducing the frequency of adverse events that may become life-threatening.

Pharmacovigilance Study of Anticancer Drugs in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in North India: A Retrospective Study.

Anticancer agents are responsible for a majority of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in cancer patients. ADR reporting with anticancer drugs is very rare in India due to the lack of awareness and knowledge about the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. Hence, this study was done to assess the pattern of ADRs with anticancer agents in cancer patients and to increase awareness about ADR monitoring among healthcare professionals. This is an observational, retrospectiveand non-interventional study conducted in an ADR monitoring centre (AMC) in Govt. Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, Punjab, North India. Voluntarily reported ADR forms with anticancer drugs as suspected drugs over a period of seven years from January 2016 to December 2022 were analyzed. Various parameters were analyzed, which include demographic details of the patients, type of ADR, department reporting ADR and suspected drug. Causality assessment, severity assessment and preventability assessment were done according to the World Health Organization Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) scale, modified Hartwig and Siegel scale and modified Schumock and Thornton scale, respectively. The maximum numbers of ADRs were reported in the age group of 41-60 years (68.29%) and in females (59.75%). The maximum number of ADRs was reported with the use of taxanes (docetaxel and paclitaxel) (24.39%), targeted drugs (geftinib, imatinib, bortezomib, bevacizumab, rituximab and pazopanib) (24.39%) and platinum co-ordination complexes (cisplatin, oxaliplatin and carboplatin) (17.07%). Majority of the ADRs reported were shivering and ADRs on the skin. Majority of the ADRs were probable (64.70%), mild in nature (85.29%), definitely preventable (45.58%) and probably preventable (45.58%). ADR monitoring is needed to increase the outcome of anticancer drug treatment in cancer patients. The quality of treatment in cancer patients can be improved through the timely management of these ADRs. It is a need of the present era to inform healthcare professionals about the Pharmacovigilance Programme to increase the reporting of ADRs due to anticancer drugs.

Evaluation of Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions Reported in a Teaching Hospital of Coastal Andhra

Adverse drug reactions (ADR) can be manifested in different forms, among these cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) are the commonest. They have been steadily gaining importance and constitute a major proportion of all ADRs. As available data on CADRs is very less, more research is required to have reliable data, hence the current study was undertaken. This prospective study was carried out to evaluate the age and gender distribution, presenting complaints, spectrum of CADRs, causative drugs, causality, severity, and outcomes in patients with or suspected CADRs attending the department of Dermatology of Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Foundation Hospital between January 2014 and June 2015. In cooperation with the Dermatologist, patients’ reactions were analyzed based on morphology, and laboratory investigations. Causality was assessed as per the World Health Organization- Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC)causality assessment scale. Modified Hartwig and Siegel Scale was used for the severity assessment of reactions. CADRs occurred most commonly in the 31-40 years age group (32%) with no sign of the difference in both sexes. The most common complaint of CADRs by the patients was skin rash (42%) anddiagnoses were Erythematous drug eruption (ERDE) and Fixed drug eruption (FDE) (28%). The commonest causative drug categories were antimicrobials (52%) and Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) (24%).Among antimicrobials, ciprofloxacin, and in NSAIDs, diclofenac were the commonest causative drugs. In causality, majority of the cases were under possible category(42%). Most of the reactions were mild (46%), and moderate (46%) in severity. The majority of the cases showed good recovery without any mortality or disability. The limitations of this study were the relatively small sample size, inability to confirm the particular causative drug in majority of the patients. Future research should focus on the genetic factors concerning to CADRs and molecular-level evaluation should be done for a better understanding of the pathophysiology of various ADRs.

A Prospective Observational Study to Evaluate the Prevalence of Adverse Drug Reactions and its Impact on Quality of life in Psychiatric Patients at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Background: In recent times, emphasis on pharmacovigilance (PV) is elevated due to increased cases of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) coming into notice. Psychotropic medications that are the mainstay of treating psychiatric patients are linked to various adverse drug reactions. The given study lays accentuation on determining the pattern of ADRs due to the use of antipsychotics and antidepressants. Objectives: In this study, we aim to determine the incidence of ADRs and their effect on the quality of life (QOL) of the patients after the ADR (s). Methodology: This is a prospective observational study of a total of 300 subjects receiving antipsychotics and/or antidepressants. They were screened for possible ADRs. Possible risk factors for the development of ADRs were also assessed. The difference in the pattern of ADRs in patients prescribed with Antidepressants (ADs) and/or Antipsychotics (APs) was observed. The average number of APs and/or ADs per prescription was calculated. The causality and severity assessment of the observed ADRs was done by the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Center (WHO-UMC) scale, Naranjo’s algorithm, and Hartwig–Siegel scale, respectively. Lastly, the impact of ADRs on the QOL of the patients receiving APs and/or ADs was evaluated. Results: The prevalence of ADRs in patients receiving APs and/or ADs is 24.33%. Olanzapine is the most commonly prescribed AP while sertraline is the most commonly prescribed AD. Olanzapine and sertraline are responsible for the highest number of ADRs as AP and AD, respectively. Females are found to be at higher risk for developing ADRs. Multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy are also considered to be possible risk factors. The average number of APs and/or antidepressants per prescription is 1.94 drugs. APs are found to be responsible for a higher number of ADRs in comparison with ADs. The maximum number of ADRs falls into the possible criteria of causality assessment by the WHO-UMC scale and Naranjo’s algorithm. All the observed ADRs fall into the mild and moderate category of severity by the Hartwig–Siegel scale. The ADRs have a significant impact on the physical health and psychological domain of QOL assessment. Conclusion: The need for PV is highlighted by the results obtained in this study. Intense monitoring and increased awareness can help improve the rate of ADR (s) occurrence in patients receiving psychotropic medications. As a result, the impact of ADRs on the QOL of the patients can also be reduced.

Coinfection with Strongyloides and SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review.

Treatments for COVID-19, including steroids, might exacerbate Strongyloides disease in patients with coinfection. We aimed to systematically review clinical and laboratory features of SARS-CoV-2 and Strongyloides coinfection, investigate possible interventions, assess outcomes, and identify research gaps requiring further attention. We searched two electronic databases, LitCOVID and WHO, up to August 2022, including SARS-CoV-2 and Strongyloides coinfection studies. We adapted the World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) system for standardized case causality assessment to evaluate if using corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs in COVID-19 patients determined acute manifestations of strongyloidiasis. We included 16 studies reporting 25 cases of Strongyloides and SARS-CoV-2 coinfection: 4 with hyperinfection syndrome; 2 with disseminated strongyloidiasis; 3 with cutaneous reactivation of strongyloidiasis; 3 with isolated digestive symptoms; and 2 with solely eosinophilia, without clinical manifestations. Eleven patients were asymptomatic regarding strongyloidiasis. Eosinopenia or normal eosinophil count was reported in 58.3% of patients with Strongyloides reactivation. Steroids were given to 18/21 (85.7%) cases. A total of 4 patients (19.1%) received tocilizumab and/or Anakirna in addition to steroids. Moreover, 2 patients (9.5%) did not receive any COVID-19 treatment. The causal relationship between Strongyloides reactivation and COVID-19 treatments was considered certain (4% of cases), probable (20% of patients), and possible (20% of patients). For 8% of cases, it was considered unlikely that COVID-19 treatment was associated with strongyloidiasis reactivations; the relationship between the Strongyloides infection and administration of COVID-19 treatment was unassessable/unclassifiable in 48% of cases. Of 13 assessable cases, 11 (84.6%) were considered to be causally associated with Strongyloides, ranging from certain to possible. Further research is needed to assess the frequency and risk of Strongyloides reactivation in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our limited data using causality assessment supports recommendations that clinicians should screen and treat for Strongyloides infection in patients with coinfection who receive immunosuppressive COVID-19 therapies. In addition, the male gender and older age (over 50 years) may be predisposing factors for Strongyloides reactivation. Standardized guidelines should be developed for reporting future research.

Intensive care drug therapy and its potential adverse effects on blood pressure and heart rate in critically ill children

BackgroundOwing to complex treatment, critically ill children may experience alterations in their vital parameters. We investigated whether such hemodynamic alterations were temporally and causally related to drug therapy.MethodsIn a university pediatric intensive care unit, we retrospectively analyzed hemodynamic alterations defined as values exceeding the limits set for heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP). For causality assessment, we used the World Health Organization–Uppsala Monitoring Center (WHO–UMC) system, which categorizes the probability of causality as “certain,” “probable,” “possible,” and “unlikely.”ResultsOf 315 analyzed patients with 43,200 drug prescriptions, 59.7% experienced at least one hemodynamic alteration; 39.0% were affected by increased HR, 19.0% by decreased HR, 18.1% by increased BP, and 16.2% by decreased BP. According to drug information databases, 83.9% of administered drugs potentially lead to hemodynamic alterations. Overall, 88.3% of the observed hemodynamic alterations had a temporal relation to the administration of drugs; in 80.2%, more than one drug was involved. Based on the WHO–UMC system, a drug was rated as a “probable” causing factor for only 1.4% of hemodynamic alterations. For the remaining alterations, the probability ratings were lower because of multiple potential causes, e.g., several drugs.ConclusionsCritically ill children were frequently affected by hemodynamic alterations. The administration of drugs with potentially adverse effects on hemodynamic parameters is often temporally related to hemodynamic alterations. Hemodynamic alterations are often multifactorial, e.g., due to administering multiple drugs in rapid succession; thus, the influence of individual drugs cannot easily be captured with the WHO–UMC system.

Adverse drug reactions in children and adolescents on daily antitubercular regimen: An observational longitudinal study

ObjectivesSubsequent to introduction of daily fixed dose combination (FDC) regimen with increased dosages and inclusion of ethambutol in continuation phase of antitubercular therapy (ATT) in India, this study was done to evaluate adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children and adolescents. MethodsLongitudinal observational study conducted in tertiary teaching hospital. Children (1 month–18 year), with newly diagnosed drug sensitive tuberculosis, started on daily FDC regimen of ATT, were included. Participants were followed up at 2 weeks, 8 weeks and 6 months. Division of AIDS (DAIDS) severity grading and World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) causality assessment was done. ResultsIn 99 participants, 29 experienced ADRs. Most commonly ADRs involved hepatobiliary (11.1%) and gastrointestinal (8.1%) systems. Grade 3 severity noted in 35.5% ADRs. Certain causality classified in 19.3%. Presence of ADRs was significantly higher in participants with vs without malnutrition [40.5% vs 21.1% (p = 0.036)]. Tendency for more severe ADRs noted in participants with vs without malnutrition [Grade 3 ADRs out of all ADRs: 64.7% vs 0% (p < 0.001)]. ConclusionIncidence and severity of ADRs has increased after introduction of daily FDC of ATT. Most common ADR observed were hepatobiliary. Malnutrition and less weight for age were risk factors for occurrence and severity of ADRs.

Treatment Reconciliation in Parkinson’s Disease Patients with Particular Reference to Wearing-off and Motor fluctuations: A Registry-based, Prospective, Observational Study

Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most frequent neurodegenerative disease and dopaminergic agents are frequently used as a treatment while ‘end of dose deterioration’ or ‘Wearing-Off (WO)’ phenomenon is common with these agents. Treatment reconciliation may be helpful in this situation and there is dearth of studies especially in India. Aim: To study the WO effects in patients of PD, their pharmacotherapy and outcome. Materials and Methods: This registry-based, prospective, observational, outcomes-based study was conducted in the Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, in collaboration with Department of Neuromedicine of Kolkata Medical College and private clinics of a Neurologist from January 2020 to December 2021. An attempt was also undertaken to make a registry of Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (IPD) patients. WO Questionnaire 19-items (WOQ19), Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS Scale), The 39-items Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39 questionnaire), The 8-items Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS scale), suspected Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Reporting Form of Indian Pharmacoepia commission (version 1.3), World Health Organisation- Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) Scale, Naranjo causality assessment scale, Hartwig and Seigel’s Severity Assessment Scale were used in the present study. The study was commenced after obtaining approval from institutional ethics committee. The data was then analysed with parametric or non parametric tests using (mean±Standard Deviation (SD), median, Fisher’s-exact test, Friedman’s Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test, Wilcoxon matched pair signedrank test). Data collected and then statistically analysed by using WPS Excel version 2021 and GraphPad Prism version 9 software. Results: Total IPD patients were found to be 111 in the present study with a mean age of IPD patients as 61.85±7.20 years. Incidence of WO in the present study was found to be 40.5% among IPD patients. Most common characteristic of WO was found to be tremor in 104 (28.8%) patients followed by slowness of movement in 63 (17.5%) patients. WHO-UMC scale and Naranjo causality assesment scale both revealed 36.4% ADRs were probable category and 63.6% were possible category. MDS-UPDRS Score, PDQ-39 Score, MMAS-8 score significantly (p-value&lt;0.05) improved during the course of treatment. Conclusion: Dose adjustment of syndopa was mostly used in the management of WO phenomenon and significant improvement in the quality of life of the patients was seen.

Hydrocortisone-induced blood pressure reduction in a patient with anterior pituitary hypofunction: a case report

Hydrocortisone is widely used for the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects and physiological substitute of endogenous glucocorticoid. Allergic reaction to hydrocortisone is infrequent, but once it occurs, it can affect the...

Safety of acupuncture by Korean Medicine Doctors: a prospective, practice-based survey of 37,490 consultations

BackgroundTo evaluate safety of acupuncture treatment by Korean Medicine Doctors (KMDs), a prospective, practice-based survey on adverse events (AEs) associated with acupuncture was conducted.MethodsFrom July 2016 to October 2017, KMDs were invited to participate in an online survey. Frequency was calculated as the number of AEs per 10,000 treatments; severity was assessed with the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Grading (Severity) Scale; and causality was evaluated using the World Health Organisation-Uppsala Monitoring Centre system for standardised case causality assessment. Associations between AE occurrence and KMDs’ type of practice/clinical experience and patient age/gender/current medication(s) were analysed.ResultsData on 37,490 acupuncture treatments were collected from 222 KMDs. At least one AE was reported from 4,518 acupuncture treatments, giving a frequency rate of 1,205 per 10,000 acupuncture treatments; this increased to 4,768 treatments when administrative problems related to defective devices or medical negligence were added, for a rate of 1,272 per 10,000 acupuncture treatments. Commonly reported AEs were bleeding, needle site pain, and bruising. Approximately 72.9% of AEs/administrative problems were assessed as they certainly occurred by acupuncture treatment in causality assessment. Most AEs/administrative problems were considered mild in severity and two life-threatening AEs were resolved with no sequelae. Compared to males, female patients were more likely to experience AEs and KMDs’ clinical experience was not associated with reported AE occurrence.ConclusionsAlthough acupuncture-associated AEs occur commonly, they are largely transient and mild. Acupuncture performed by qualified KMDs may serve as a reliable medical treatment with acceptable safety profiles.

Adverse Drug Reactions in Children: Comparison of Reports Collected in a Pharmacovigilance Project Versus Spontaneously Collected ADR Reports.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and medication errors in children may result from a lack of appropriate drugs, dosages, and pharmaceutical forms. In addition, children may respond differently to drugs than adults. Reporting of ADRs in the pediatric population is therefore of importance in order to increase the amount of safety data. However, different methodological approaches are used to collect ADRs. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether there were differences in the ADRs collected in the KiDSafe project (845 ADR reports) compared with the spontaneous ADR reports sent to EudraVigilance (697 reports) in the same time period. The strengths and limitations of these two different approaches should be discussed. The same inclusion criteria were applied for the systematically collected ADRs in the KiDSafe project and the spontaneous reports from EudraVigilance, and only reportsof ADRs coded with hospitalization were considered. In both datasets, the number of reports (related to number of hospitals), their documentation quality (VigiGrade), causal relationship (World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre [WHO-UMC] criteria), most frequently reported drugs and ADRs, demographical parameters of the patients, reported medical histories, and the seriousness of ADR reports were analyzed descriptively. The results of the two analyses were compared. There was considerable underreporting of ADRs via the spontaneous reports (0.4 reports per hospital; 697/1902) compared with 70.4 reports per hospital (845/12) in the systematically collected KiDSafe reports. Documentation quality assessment yielded similar results in both datasets. Among the 10 most frequently reported drugs, anticonvulsants such as levetiracetam (6.6%), valproic acid (5.6%), oxcarbazepine (3.6%), and lamotrigine (3.4%) were mainly reported in the KiDSafe reports, while in the EudraVigilance reports, mite allergen extract (4.4%) and allergens (3.6%) were preferentially reported. Seizures were the most frequently reported clinically specific ADRs in the KiDSafe reports, whereas anaphylactic reactions and urticaria were prominent in the spontaneous reports from EudraVigilance. Notably, the proportion of reports referring to medication errors and other medication safety related issues were more prominent in KiDSafe than in the spontaneous reports (27.8% vs. 12.6% and 46.0% vs. 29.0%, respectively). In general, reports from both data sources contributed to the identification of ADRs and dedicated issues related to drug therapy. However, these differed by nature and strength of the signal, likely due to the characteristics of the individual method. A combined approach could likely compensate for limitations inherent to the single approaches, but will most likely only be applied to dedicated pharmacovigilance topics or research objectives.