scholarly journals P29 The preventative management of migraine headaches in paediatrics

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (9) ◽  
pp. e21-e21
Author(s):  
Judith Martin

AimTo determine the optimal preventative treatment option for paediatric migraineDesignA retrospective method. A review of 100 paediatric patients who attended outpatient clinics and their clinical outcomes evaluated at day 0, and at their next outpatient appointment (which is approximately 3 months after their first review). Their treatment was analysed to determine if they have remained on their migraine prophylaxis or changed to a different option.SettingChildren outpatient setting in a District General Hospital.Participants100 paediatric patients aged below 18 years of age.InterventionPatients aged below 18 years of age who have a documented diagnosis of migraine. This excluded abdominal migraine.Main Outcome MeasuresTo identify: which classes of drugs are being used for migraine prophylaxis, if there is a drug being used in preference to other drugs, how many preventative treatment options are tried before a preventative treatment is successful, if appropriate dosing regimens are being used for preventative treatment options, the common side effects (if any) of the drugs used in the management of migraine prophylaxis and if a different class of drug is being used for children under 12 years of age and over 12 years of age.Main ResultsPropranolol, topiramate, pizotifen, amitriptyline and gabapentin were medication used as initial treatment for paediatric migraine prophylaxis. Pizotifen was the most commonly used medication (n=71) and had the overall highest positive response rate of 76%. Topiramate, pizotifen and amitriptyline were noted to have caused side effects and prevent the subjects from continuing that course of prophylactic treatment. Age is a clinical factor which can influence the decision to start therapy. With a child’s advancing age, the features of childhood migraine change and therefore different medication may respond to the changing condition. It is evident from this research, pizotifen is used for children under the age of 12 years. However the true reason behind this is unknown. This could be due to the medication licensing or the side effect profile. Further trials are needed to review the demanding consideration on migraine in children of different ages. The BNF-C gives dosing advice on three preventative treatments; pizotifen, topiramate and propranolol. There was overall good compliance with dosing as per the BNFC; 91% in the pizotifen group, 100% in the topiramate group and 82% compliance in the propranolol group. In the BNF-C, for amitriptyline and gabapentin there is no dosing advice for migraine prophylaxis. Therefore, there was no dosing regimens to compare to and achieved 0% compliance with the BNF-C.ConclusionThis research has found pizotifen to be first line treatment for the prevention of migraines. Numerous medication have been identified as potentially preventing migraine but these have either not progressed to fruition or failed to achieve the expected outcomes. Further medication studies are needed to examine their effectiveness for preventing paediatric migraine.ReferencesBarnes N. ( 2019) ‘Migraine Headache in Children’, British Medical Journal. Available at: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/678/evidence (Accessed February 2019)Bille BO. ( 1997) ‘A 40-year follow-up of children with migraine’. Cephalalgia 1997;17:488–91. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9209767 (Accessed January 2019)Brandes JL Saper JR, Diamond M, et al. (2004) ‘Topiramate for migraine prevention: A randomized controlled trial’. JAMA. 2004;291:965–973. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14982912 (Accessed January 2019)Forsythe WI, Gillies D, Sills MA. ( 1984) ‘Propranolol in the treatment of childhood migraine’, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology Journal, 26: 737–41.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona Dietrichkeit ◽  
Marion Hagemann-Goebel ◽  
Yvonne Nestoriuc ◽  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Lena Jelinek

AbstractAlthough awareness of side effects over the course of psychotherapy is growing, side effects are still not always reported. The purpose of the present study was to examine side effects in a randomized controlled trial comparing Metacognitive Training for Depression (D-MCT) and a cognitive remediation training in patients with depression. 84 patients were randomized to receive either D-MCT or cognitive remediation training (MyBrainTraining) for 8 weeks. Side effects were assessed after the completion of each intervention (post) using the Short Inventory of the Assessment of Negative Effects (SIAN) and again 6 months later (follow-up) using the Negative Effects Questionnaire (NEQ). D-MCT and MyBrainTraining did not differ significantly in the number of side effects. At post assessment, 50% of the D-MCT group and 59% of the MyBrainTraining group reported at least one side effect in the SIAN. The most frequently reported side effect was disappointment in subjective benefit of study treatment. At follow-up, 52% reported at least one side effect related to MyBrainTraining, while 34% reported at least one side effect related to the D-MCT in the NEQ. The most frequently reported side effects fell into the categories of “symptoms” and “quality”. Our NEQ version was missing one item due to a technical error. Also, allegiance effects should be considered. The sample size resulted in low statistical power. The relatively tolerable number of side effects suggests D-MCT and MyBrainTraining are safe and well-received treatment options for people with depression. Future studies should also measure negative effects to corroborate our results.


2018 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. e2.19-e2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloe Main ◽  
Suzannah Hibberd ◽  
Caroline Cole

BackgroundVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is becoming increasingly recognised in children’s healthcare despite being relatively uncommon in comparison to the adult population.1,2 The incomplete haemostatic system that is present at birth responds with different pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to anticoagulation therapy using low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) in comparison to adults.3 It is not clear from what age adult dosing can be applied however this is thought to be around 16–18 years. Currently no comprehensive local guidelines are available for the prescribing and monitoring of enoxaparin in paediatric patients. Due to the increasing use of enoxaparin, there is a need to develop local guidelines for both prophylaxis and therapeutic treatment.AimTo audit prescribing and monitoring of enoxaparin within the Children’s Hospital prior to the development of comprehensive local guidelines.MethodRetrospective and concurrent methods were used to collect data from all paediatric patients prescribed enoxaparin between the 1 st January 2015 and the 31 st January 2016. A range of computer systems, including ePrescribing records, an electronic results server and electronic and paper based notes were used to investigate each patient identified. Data was collected regarding enoxaparin indication, dosing and anti-Xa levels with data being entered into the audit tool.Results71% (n=17) of therapeutic treatment enoxaparin prescriptions were dosed according to the BNFc with no documentation found to justify alternative dosing regimens. 35% of patients had an anti-Xa level taken within 36 hours of therapeutic treatment initiation. 71% of levels (n=17) were taken 4–6 hours post dose. Where levels were found not to be in range, 82% of patients (n=11) had their dose adjusted. 56% (n=9) of patients then went on to have their anti-Xa level re-checked within 24 hours of dose change. 76% (n=25) of prophylactic enoxaparin prescriptions were dosed according to the BNFc. 93% (n=42) of all enoxaparin prescriptions were dosed as whole numbers.ConclusionThe results indicate that prescribers may benefit from having access to clear dosing and monitoring guidelines, to help improve the prescribing and monitoring in paediatric patients prescribed enoxaparin for both prophylaxis and therapeutic treatment of venous thromboembolism. The guidelines should contain details of dosing, monitoring, and how to adjust levels when necessary. Practice should be re-audited 12 months after the guidelines are published.One limitation was the difficulty ascertaining the indication for treatment due to inadequate documentation.ReferencesChalmers E, Ganesen V, Liesner R, Maroo S, Nokes T, Saunders D, et al. Guideline on the investigation, management and prevention of venous thrombosis in children. British Journal of Haematology2011;154(2):196–207.Payne J. Aspects of anticoagulation in children. British Journal of Haematology2010;150(3):259–277.Guzzetta N, Miller B. Principles of hemostasis in children: Models and maturation. Paediatric Anaesthesia2010;21(1):3–9.


2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. A. Ahmadi-Abhari ◽  
S. Akhondzadeh ◽  
S. M. Assadi ◽  
O. L. Shabestari ◽  
Z. M. Farzanehgan ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-90
Author(s):  
Sadaf Amin Chaudhry ◽  
Nadia Ali Zafar ◽  
Rabia Hayat ◽  
Ayesha Noreen ◽  
Gulnaz Ali ◽  
...  

Background: Acne is the eighth most prevalent disease affecting 9.4% of the population worldwide and its prevalence in our country is estimated to be around 5%. Severe inflammatory acne is most likely to leave scars and in order to prevent facial disfigurement due to acne scarring, early treatment is desirable. Various treatment options have been formulated for acne, and are tailored according to the severity of the disease. Numerous clinical trials have been conducted till now, to determine the usefulness and side effect profile of such therapies, making acne treatment a highly studied area in dermatology. Objective of this study is to highlight the fact that oral Dapsone could be used as a cheaper alternate to isotretinoin in recalcitrant severe acne, especially in females where retinoids are sometimes contraindicated. Patients and methods: 51 patients, suffering from severe nodulocystic acne, fulfilling the criteria, were enrolled from the Department of Dermatology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore. All the study patients were given oral Dapsone 50mg for initial two weeks and then 100mg daily for the next 10 weeks along with oral cimetidine and topical clindamycin application twice daily. Investigator Global Assessment Scale (IGAS) was employed to measure effectiveness. The treatment was considered ʽeffectiveʹ if the patient achieves 2 or more than 2-grade improvement or almost clear or clear skin at the end of 12 weeks according to IGAS scale. The lesion counts were also done before the start of therapy (day 1) and at every two weeks follow up for 12 weeks. The change in lesion count observed between the baseline number and that seen at follow up visits was also used to evaluate the effectiveness of oral Dapsone. Safety was analyzed by fortnightly visits of the patients to look for any undesirable side effects and monitoring of the hematologic profile of the patients. Final follow up was done at the end of 16 weeks. Results: The study was conducted on 51 patients, with a ratio of 1:3 for males and females and a mean age of 25.2 years (SD ±5.81). At 12th week, patients had significant reduction in their acne lesions; with 7 patients (13.7%) showing completely clear skin, 17 patients (33.3%) had almost clear skin, 5 patients (9.8%) had 3-grade improvement. Twelve patients (23.5%) had 2-grade improvement from baseline score and only 2 patients (3.9%) had 1-grade improvement from baseline. Based on percentage reduction of lesions, excellent response was seen in 32 patients (62.7%), good response in 9 patients (17.6%), moderate response in 2 patients (3.9%), while no patient showed poor response. Dapsone was discontinued in 8 patients due to derangement of hematologic profile. Conclusion: Oral Dapsone, when given carefully, is a very effective therapeutic option in severe recalcitrant acne, with limited side effects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 734-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baoling Guo ◽  
Qiuxiang Zheng

Aim and Objective: Lung cancer is a highly heterogeneous cancer, due to the significant differences in molecular levels, resulting in different clinical manifestations of lung cancer patients there is a big difference. Including disease characterization, drug response, the risk of recurrence, survival, etc. Method: Clinical patients with lung cancer do not have yet particularly effective treatment options, while patients with lung cancer resistance not only delayed the treatment cycle but also caused strong side effects. Therefore, if we can sum up the abnormalities of functional level from the molecular level, we can scientifically and effectively evaluate the patients' sensitivity to treatment and make the personalized treatment strategies to avoid the side effects caused by over-treatment and improve the prognosis. Result & Conclusion: According to the different sensitivities of lung cancer patients to drug response, this study screened out genes that were significantly associated with drug resistance. The bayes model was used to assess patient resistance.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freja Lærke Sand ◽  
Simon Francis Thomsen

Patients with severe chronic urticaria may not respond to antihistamines, and other systemic treatment options may either be ineffective or associated with unacceptable side effects. We present data on efficacy and safety of adalimumab and etanercept in 20 adult patients with chronic urticaria. Twelve (60%) patients obtained complete or almost complete resolution of urticaria after onset of therapy with either adalimumab or etanercept. Further three patients (15%) experienced partial response. Duration of treatment ranged between 2 and 39 months. Those responding completely or almost completely had a durable response with a mean of 11 months. Six patients (30%) experienced side effects and five patients had mild recurrent upper respiratory infections, whereas one patient experienced severe CNS toxicity that could be related to treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitor. Adalimumab and etanercept may be effective and relatively safe treatment options in a significant proportion of patients with chronic urticaria who do not respond sufficiently to high-dose antihistamines or in whom standard immunosuppressive drugs are ineffective or associated with unacceptable side effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Mateusz Szmit ◽  
Siddarth Agrawal ◽  
Waldemar Goździk ◽  
Andrzej Kübler ◽  
Anil Agrawal ◽  
...  

Given the rising rate of opioid-related adverse drug events during postsurgical pain management, a nonpharmacologic therapy that could decrease analgesic medication requirements would be of immense value. We designed a prospective, placebo-and-randomized controlled trial to assess the clinical effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TEAS) on the postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) requirement for morphine, as well as side effects and recovery profile after inguinal hernia repair. Seventy-one subjects undergoing inguinal hernia repair with a standardized anesthetic technique were randomly assigned to one of three analgesic treatment regimens: PCA + TEAS (n = 24); PCA + sham-TEAS (no electrical stimulation) (n = 24), and PCA only (n = 23). The postoperative PCA requirement, pain scores, opioid-related side effects, and blood cortisol levels were recorded. TEAS treatment resulted in a twofold decrease in the analgesic requirement and decreased pain level reported by the patients. In addition, a significant reduction of cortisol level was reported in the TEAS group at 24 h postoperatively compared to the sham and control groups. We conclude that TEAS is a safe and effective option for reducing analgesic consumption and postoperative pain following inguinal hernia repair.


Author(s):  
Sie Kei Wong ◽  
M. Chim ◽  
J. Allen ◽  
A. Butler ◽  
J. Tyrrell ◽  
...  

Abstract There is no consensus on the optimal pCO2 levels in the newborn. We reviewed the effects of hypercapnia and hypocapnia and existing carbon dioxide thresholds in neonates. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement and MOOSE guidelines. Two hundred and ninety-nine studies were screened and 37 studies included. Covidence online software was employed to streamline relevant articles. Hypocapnia was associated with predominantly neurological side effects while hypercapnia was linked with neurological, respiratory and gastrointestinal outcomes and Retinpathy of prematurity (ROP). Permissive hypercapnia did not decrease periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), ROP, hydrocephalus or air leaks. As safe pCO2 ranges were not explicitly concluded in the studies chosen, it was indirectly extrapolated with reference to pCO2 levels that were found to increase the risk of neonatal disease. Although PaCO2 ranges were reported from 2.6 to 8.7 kPa (19.5–64.3 mmHg) in both term and preterm infants, there are little data on the safety of these ranges. For permissive hypercapnia, parameters described for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; PaCO2 6.0–7.3 kPa: 45.0–54.8 mmHg) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH; PaCO2 ≤ 8.7 kPa: ≤65.3 mmHg) were identified. Contradictory findings on the effectiveness of permissive hypercapnia highlight the need for further data on appropriate CO2 parameters and correlation with outcomes. Impact There is no consensus on the optimal pCO2 levels in the newborn. There is no consensus on the effectiveness of permissive hypercapnia in neonates. A safe range of pCO2 of 5–7 kPa was inferred following systematic review.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Mahmoodi ◽  
Mojtaba Yousefi ◽  
Omid Sadeghi ◽  
Ali Mahmoodabadi ◽  
Mohammadreza Sadriirani ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The current randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to assess the effect of green tea intake on disease symptoms and laboratory parameters including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and complete blood count (CBC) in patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 infection. Trial design Randomized, double-blinded, parallel (1:1 ratio) clinical trial exploratory study Participants We will recruit patients with COVID-19 infection admitted to Yasuj Shahid Jalil Hospital in Yasuj City, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran. Participants’ inclusion criteria are as follows: Inclusion Criteria Patients aged ≥18 years COVID-19 diagnosis according to real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) Exclusion Criteria Pregnancy or lactation Disseminated intravascular coagulation or any other types of coagulopathy Severe congestive kidney failure Having a history of participating in a clinical trial during the last 30 days Intervention and comparator Intervention: Two capsules containing 450 mg green tea extract along with routine treatment for COVID-19 patients in the intervention group. Two capsules containing placebo plus routine treatment for patients with COVID-19 infection. Capsules will be taken twice a day, after lunch and dinner, for 14 days. Main outcomes Changes in disease symptoms and laboratory parameters including CRP, ESR, and CBC after 14 days of the intervention compared to control group. Randomisation Eligible patients will be randomly assigned into the intervention or control group in a 1:1 ratio. Randomization will be performed based on 8 permuted blocks with block sizes of 10, and patients in the intervention and control groups will be matched according to sex and age categories. Randomization will be done using computer-generated random numbers (Randomization.com) Blinding (masking) The appearance of placebo and green tea capsules will be similar in terms of shape and color, and they will be packed in the same bags that will be prepared by the company. Also, the researcher and all participants will not be aware of the divisions until the end of the study. Numbers to be randomised (sample size) The total sample was determined based on CRP MCID in which high CRP levels were considered >2.6 mg/L. Accordingly, a total sample size of 37 patients for each intervention group was required. Trial Status The protocol is Version 1.0, on June 5, 2021. Recruitment will start on July 11, 2021, which is anticipated to be completed by September 21, 2021. Trial registration IRCT20150711023153N3 (https://www.irct.ir/trial/55948) retrospectively registered on June 4, 2021 Full protocol The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting was eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.


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