scholarly journals Potential Drug-Drug and Drug-Disease interactions of selected experimental therapies used in treating COVID-19 patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 219-230
Author(s):  
Radhwan Nidal Al-Zidan

At the end of 2019, the whole world was witnessing the birth of a new member of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) family in Wuhan city, China. Since then, the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has rapidly invaded every corner of the world. Before the end of September 2020, nearly 32 million cases worldwide were recorded, with a death toll of approximately 1 million cases. As COVID-19 has spread across the world, certain groups of people prove more susceptible than others. Elderly patients and people with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes are more likely to experience or even suffer from serious diseases. As a population, senior citizens take more medicines than young people. Similarly, people with chronic illnesses who are several taking drugs to control their illness. All this poses a significant query in managing COVID-19 cases: can a standard drug regimen be paired with one or more experimental drugs? For example, some of the most widely prescribed medicines—including antibacterial drugs, antifungals, heart-related medications, neuroleptics, contraceptives, and sedatives —can have extensive and often even severe interactions with some of the experimental COVID-19 therapy. Therefore, to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate associated with COVID-19, this issue needs to be answered in detail. This review addressed the key points related to the drug-drug and drug-disease interaction in patients with COVID-19. To help health care providers locate the answers they need in the shortest possible time, the information contained in this review has been included in easy-to-read tables. Keywords:  Drug interactions; DDIs; Polypharmacy; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rathor MY ◽  
Mohammad Fauzi AR ◽  
Omar AM

Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, a recurring annual ritual, which is passionately practiced by most Muslims across the world. It is obligatory on every healthy Muslim; however, the Qur’an and Islamic teachings specifically exempt people with acute or chronic illnesses from this duty, especially if it might have harmful consequences. Muslims with diabetes are exempted from fasting, but many of them still fast during Ramadan, for their personal convictions as revealed by EPIDIAR study which showed that 43% of patients with type 1 diabetes and 79% with type 2 diabetes fasted during Ramadan. Muslims constitute about a quarter of the world’s population who are spread all over the globe. It is inevitable that health care issues peculiar to them will be encountered worldwide and health care providers will have to counsel them regarding medications and whether it is safe to undertake the fast. This paper is an update on the management of Ramadan fasting based on current evidence from published literature and expert opinions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Fifi Dwijayanti ◽  
Hendi Setiadi ◽  
Martya Rahmaniati Makful

At the end of 2019, the novel coronavirus (CoV) of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), named SARS- CoV-2 was approved as a microbial agent that causes viral pneumonia in patients who are linked epidemiologically to the seafood market in Wuhan (Wuhan) Hubei province, China [1]. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated the coronavirus or COVID-19 as a pandemic because it has spread globally in the world since March 11, 2020 [2]. There have been more than 8 million cases reported with more than 450 thousand deaths around the world until June 19, 2020 [3]. Indonesia reported the first cases of COVID-19 in early March 2020 and currently 43,803 cases with 2,373 deaths [4]. Indonesia has the highest cases of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia [5]. WHO stated that according to the current evidence, coronavirus is transmitted among people through respiratory droplets and contact routes [6-8]. Droplet transmission is different from airborne disease. Droplet transmission occurs when a person closely contacted (within 1 m) with someone who has respiratory symptoms (e.g. coughing or sneezing,) and was therefore at risk of having his/her mucosae (mouth and nose) or conjunctiva (eyes) exposed to potentially infective respiratory droplets. Droplet transmission may also occur through fomites in the immediate environment around the infected person [9]. Increasing cases occur continuously become alert for our institution as health care providers.


Author(s):  
Rabia Tariq Butt ◽  
Omer Sefvan Janjua ◽  
Sana Mehmood Qureshi ◽  
Muhammad Saad Shaikh ◽  
Julia Guerrero-Gironés ◽  
...  

The hustle and bustle of the planet Earth have come to a halt thanks to the novel coronavirus. The virus has affected approximately 219 million people globally; taken the lives of 4.55 million patients as of September 2021; and created an ambiance of fear, social distancing, and economic instability. The purpose of this review article is to trace the historical origin and evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus is highly contagious with a unique feature of rapid mutations—the scientific research is paving the way for discoveries regarding novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) diagnosis, features, prevention, and vaccination. The connections between the coronavirus pandemic and dental practices are essential because COVID-19 is transmitted by aerosols, fomites, and respiratory droplets, which are also produced during dental procedures, putting both the patient and the dentist at risk. The main emphasis of this paper is to highlight the psychological, economic, and social impact of this pandemic on dental practices throughout the world and under what circumstances and guidelines can dental health care be provided. In the current situation of the pandemic, an appropriate screening tool must be established either by using rapid molecular testing or saliva point-of-care technology, which will be effective in identifying as well as isolating the potential contacts and carriers in hopes to contain and mitigate infection. The blessing in disguise is that this virus has united the leaders, scientists, health care providers, and people of all professions from all around the world to fight against a common enemy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 3417-3424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Hodge ◽  
Fiona Marra ◽  
Catia Marzolini ◽  
Alison Boyle ◽  
Sara Gibbons ◽  
...  

Abstract As global health services respond to the coronavirus pandemic, many prescribers are turning to experimental drugs. This review aims to assess the risk of drug–drug interactions in the severely ill COVID-19 patient. Experimental therapies were identified by searching ClinicalTrials.gov for ‘COVID-19’, ‘2019-nCoV’, ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ and ‘SARS-CoV-2’. The last search was performed on 30 June 2020. Herbal medicines, blood-derived products and in vitro studies were excluded. We identified comorbidities by searching PubMed for the MeSH terms ‘COVID-19’, ‘Comorbidity’ and ‘Epidemiological Factors’. Potential drug–drug interactions were evaluated according to known pharmacokinetics, overlapping toxicities and QT risk. Drug–drug interactions were graded GREEN and YELLOW: no clinically significant interaction; AMBER: caution; RED: serious risk. A total of 2378 records were retrieved from ClinicalTrials.gov, which yielded 249 drugs that met inclusion criteria. Thirteen primary compounds were screened against 512 comedications. A full database of these interactions is available at www.covid19-druginteractions.org. Experimental therapies for COVID-19 present a risk of drug–drug interactions, with lopinavir/ritonavir (10% RED, 41% AMBER; mainly a perpetrator of pharmacokinetic interactions but also risk of QT prolongation particularly when given with concomitant drugs that can prolong QT), chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine (both 7% RED and 27% AMBER, victims of some interactions due to metabolic profile but also perpetrators of QT prolongation) posing the greatest risk. With management, these risks can be mitigated. We have published a drug–drug interaction resource to facilitate medication review for the critically ill patient.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes C. Fischer ◽  
Albrecht G. Schmidt ◽  
Edwin Bölke ◽  
Verena Keitel ◽  
Torsten Feldt ◽  
...  

Abstract Background COVID-19 infection is a major threat to patients and health care providers around the world. One solution is the vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Methods We performed a comprehensive query of the latest publications on the prevention of viral infections including the recent vaccination program and its side effects. Results The situation is evolving rapidly and there is no reasonable alternative to population-scale vaccination programs as currently enrolled. Conclusion Therefore, regulatory authorities should consider supplementing their conventional mandate of post-approval pharmacovigilance, which is based on the collection, assessment, and regulatory response to emerging safety findings.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. HSI.S10454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Neuspiel ◽  
Melissa M. Taylor

Medication errors affect the pediatric age group in all settings: outpatient, inpatient, emergency department, and at home. Children may be at special risk due to size and physiologic variability, limited communication ability, and treatment by nonpediatric health care providers. Those with chronic illnesses and on multiple medications may be at higher risk of experiencing adverse drug events. Some strategies that have been employed to reduce harm from pediatric medication errors include e-prescribing and computerized provider order entry with decision support, medication reconciliation, barcode systems, clinical pharmacists in medical settings, medical staff training, package changes to reduce look-alike/sound-alike confusion, standardization of labeling and measurement devices for home administration, and quality improvement interventions to promote nonpunitive reporting of medication errors coupled with changes in systems and cultures. Future research is needed to measure the effectiveness of these preventive strategies.


Dental Update ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-160
Author(s):  
Lakshman Samaranayake ◽  
Sukumaran Anil

COVID-19 Vaccines are currently the talk of the world. The internet is full of memes on COVID-19 vaccines - myths more than truths. In this commentary we further review some of the issues related to the success and failure of COVID-19 vaccines, and the theoretical and practical elements on vaccinations and immunity that the dental health care providers have to be knowledgeable, so as to offer advice and guidance to their team, the patients, as well as the public.


2021 ◽  
pp. 104345422110419
Author(s):  
Solomon K. Mcharo ◽  
Jill Bally ◽  
Shelley Spurr

Background: Nursing presence creates meaningful and trusting relationships that facilitate healing for the patient and enhances the nurse's clinical experience. Although nursing presence has been linked to better health outcomes especially in chronic illnesses and end-of-life, little is known about its contribution in pediatric oncology. Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to explore how nursing presence is understood and expressed in pediatric oncology. Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework was used to guide the review, with Clarke and Braun’s (2013) thematic analysis process used for collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. Key search terms were developed for searches between January 1999 and July 2020 in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Psych INFO databases. Initially, 4,357 studies were identified with a final sample of nine articles meeting specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Gray literature retrieved from the search was used to inform the review. Findings: Most notably, there is a limited understanding of nursing presence in pediatric oncology setting. However, findings revealed five themes that can be identified with nursing presence: Being With or Being There, Therapeutic Relationships, Communication, Family-centered Approach, and Perceived Outcomes of Nursing Presence. Nurses in pediatric oncology are in an ideal position to provide nursing presence in order to improve the quality of care in pediatric oncology settings. Discussion: There is a need to establish a comprehensive evidence-based understanding of the construct of nursing presence in pediatric oncology that health care providers can utilize to enhance their clinical practice and health research.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 804-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Haggerty

Pediatric practice in the next millennium will require greater knowledge of new morbidities, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and social and behavioral disorders, reemergent old disorders, such as tuberculosis, and disorders rarely seen of late in the United States but now being brought here by recent immigrants, such as malaria and other parasitic diseases. Diversity in ethnic and cultural backgrounds and beliefs will continue to increase, and it will need to be understood to prevent and treat diseases of children effectively. Although the current antagonism toward immigrants may lead to a decrease in this particular source of diversity, changes in family structure—such as divorce, gay and lesbian couples as parents, and corporate pressure on families—will continue, requiring pediatricians to understand and to accept this diversity if they are to be the health care providers of children. The increased isolation of individuals from society and separation from families of origin will require pediatricians to be more active in communities and schools and to participate with other disciplines and social support groups. At the same time, the advancement of science and technology will continue to drive what the pediatrician does. Increased survival of children who previously had fatal illnesses will mean more emphasis on care of children who have chronic illnesses. Pediatricians will need to be partners with others in the exciting new fields of risk assessment and prevention of psychosocial disorders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S123-S129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiba Hamid ◽  
Zohaib Khurshid ◽  
Necdet Adanir ◽  
Muhammad S. Zafar ◽  
Sana Zohaib

AbstractNovel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has termed as a controllable pandemic, and the entire world has come to a standstill trying to mitigate the disease with health systems. Health care providers, around the globe, are fighting day and night. Currently, rapid testing is taking place with the help of nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal swab, bronchoalveolar lavage, sputum, urine, and blood. All these approaches are invasive or embarrassing to the infected person. It is observed that salivary glands are hosting severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) because of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and the detection of high viral loads in the saliva and is playing a crucial role in virus transmission, especially from individuals showing absolutely no symptoms. Saliva is proving to be a promising noninvasive sample specimen for the diagnosis of COVID-19, thus helping to monitor the infection and prevent it from further spreading by prompt isolation.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document