Nikhil Era

Fatal Nevirapine-Induced Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in a HIV Infected Patient

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are the most Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (SCARs) which mainly caused by exposure to drugs and having significant morbidity and mortality. TEN represents an immunologic reaction to a foreign antigen and is most often caused by drugs. Nevirapine (NVP), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) is an important component of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). It is sometimes associated with life-threatening adverse reactions. Here, we report the fatal case of 72-year-old male who developed TEN secondary to intake of nevirapine. This fatal case report will increase awareness among treating physicians for careful monitoring of patients on NNRTI-based antiretroviral therapy and better counseling of the patient on NVP regimen for early identification and reporting of SCARs so that fatalities due to adverse drug reactions can be prevented with timely intervention.

Zika virus disease: Global concerns and making way through it

The recent upsurge of Zika virus infection has alarmed public health officials because of its possible association with thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly, thereby sparking a public health emergency. This mosquito-borne arboviral disease majorly remains asymptomatic. Unavailability of specific prophylaxis or vaccines or treatment necessitates the need to advocate preventive personal measures to get protected from these daytime bitters. Prevention and control measures should be aimed at reducing the vector density and minimizing the vector-patient contact.

Adverse drug reaction monitoring in patients on antiretroviral therapy in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India

BACKGROUND: Besides unparalleled benefits, highly active antiretroviral therapy is also associated with wide range of potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs), which hinders treatment adherence. The present study was thus designed to monitor and explore the pattern of occurrence of ADRs to various antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens in a tertiary care ART setup. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, observational clinical study was carried out in the outpatient setting of nodal ART center of Eastern India. A total of 610 patients on various ART regimens were studied for suspected ADRs over 12 months. Adverse event history, medication history, and other relevant details were captured. Causality and severity of each reported ADR were duly assessed. RESULTS: 32.45% patients of total study participants presented with a total of 330 ADRs. Patients from zidovudine-based regimens presented with majority of ADRs such as anemia (up to 36%), central nervous system (CNS), and gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. Tenofovir-based regimens were, however, found to be mildly safer. The combination with Efavirenz was associated with majorly CNS side effects while that of nevirapine was associated with rash and pigmentation of nails. Atazanavir boosted second-line regimens were notably associated with increased serum lipid levels followed by other GI and CNS adverse effects. Increased liver enzymes were found in atazanavir-based second-line ART. CONCLUSION: The study enables to obtain information on the incidence and pattern of ADRs associated with various antiretroviral regimens, thereby reducing its occurrence and protecting the patient population from avoidable harm. Need of intensive monitoring for ADRs in ARTs thus seems to be a mandate.

Adverse drug reaction monitoring of antidepressants in the psychiatry out patient department at a tertiary care teaching hospital in India: A cross-sectional observational study

Background: Antidepressant drugs, though of great benefit in a range of psychiatric disorders, are associated with a wide range of potential adverse effects. There is growing concern among the healthcare personnel to assess these adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of newer psychotropic drugs, which have an impact on long-term compliance and achieving successful treatment. The present study was thus designed to monitor and analyze the pattern of occurrence of ADRs to antidepressant medications in Outpatient Department (OPD) of a tertiary-care hospital. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational clinical study was carried out in the OPD of Psychiatry in Medical College, Kolkata. A total of 190 patients who received antidepressants were studied. 5-8 consecutive previously diagnosed depression patients attending follow-up per day, were screened for suspected ADRs, 2 days (one male OPD and one female OPD) in a week, over 6 months (October 2013 to March 2014). Adverse event history, medication history and other relevant details were captured in a format as adopted in the Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI). Causality of ADR was assessed by Naranjo′s ADR probability scale. The severity of each reported ADR was assessed using Hartwig and Siegel Scale. All the statistical analysis was done by using SPSS-version 20 (SPSS Inc). Results: A total of 190 patients were screened for the study of which males and females represented 43.68% and 56.31% of the cases respectively. The age-group presenting with maximum depressive problems was found to be 30-39 years. A total of 481 ADRs were noted of which dry mouth was the commonest, closely followed by nausea and tremor. Out of 130 ADRs assessed for causality, 89.23% of the ADR cases, were found to be ′probable′, while 10.77% were found to be ′possible′. According to Hartwig and Siegel′s Scale 83.99% of the cases were found to be mild, 14.97% moderate and 1.04% severe. Conclusion: The study enables to obtain information on the incidence and pattern of adverse drug reactions associated with antidepressants in the local population thereby reducing its occurrence and protecting the user population from avoidable harm.