Caution is imperative when high doses of intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) treatment are given to obese patients and to patients with risk factors for thrombosis, say researchers who reported on two cases of thrombotic complications. One patient, with idiopathic thrombo-cytopenic purpura, received 1 g/kg of IVIg per day as a five-hour infusion daily for two […]

Although cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors, also called “coxibs,” can be easier on the gastrointestinal system than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs are, some physicians prefer to err on the side of caution by prescribing a gastroprotective agent (GPA) as well. The coxibs were named after two recently developed anti-inflammatory drugs, canadian celecoxib (Celebrex drug, Pharmacia) and […]

A new vaccine, which is expected to be able to eliminate six of the 20 injections that babies receive before age two years, has received federal approval. Pediarix™ (GlaxoSmithKline) combines protection, into one injection, against five serious diseases—diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis), hepatitis B, and polio. The vaccine is to be given in a three-dose […]

Montelukast sodium (Singulair canadian, Merck), currently on the market for asthma control, has now been approved for the relief of symptoms of hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis. The once-a-day tablet can help to relieve a broad array of allergy symptoms for 24 hours and can be used to treat adults and children […]

Older patients who are treated with topical beta blockers for glaucoma, a major cause of blindness, may be at a higher risk of airways obstruction—even if they have no history of respiratory disease, say researchers from the Institute of Ophthalmology, Royal Brompton Hospital, and Moorfields Eye Hospital, all in London. Analyzing data from 11,739 patients, […]