See also Fluoroquinolones General information Gemifloxacin is a fluoroquinolone that has enhanced affinity for topoisomerase. Compared with other fluoroquinolones, gemifloxacin was the most potent against penicillin-intermediate and penicillin-resistant pneumococci, methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates, and coagulase-negative staphylococci [ , ]. It has excellent activity against Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis and is unaffected by beta-lactamases. It is generally two-fold less active than ciprofloxacin against most…

See also Prostaglandins General information Gemeprost is an analogue of PGE 2 . Vaginal gemeprost is effective in inducing first and second trimester abortion and in cervical priming before vacuum aspiration. Pyrexia, vomiting, and diarrhea were experienced in 20% of patients [ ]. Organs and systems You’re Reading a Preview Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles Become membership If you…

See also Cytotoxic and immunosuppressant drugs General information Gemcitabine is an S-phase-specific pyrimidine nucleoside analogue of deoxycytidine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine) that is structurally similar to cytosine arabinoside. It has been used to treat metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, pancreatic cancer, and some other solid tumors. Drug studies Observational studies In a retrospective study of patients with non-small cell lung cancers who received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m 2 on…

General information Gefitinib is an anilinoquinazoline derivative, the first agent to have been introduced as a potent inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinase for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer refractory or resistant to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Case series have shown significant radiographic regression and improvement of symptoms. A history of never smoking cigarettes and bronchoalveolar histology are significant predictors of a radiographic response to gefitinib. In…

See also Fluoroquinolones General information Gatifloxacin is an 8-methoxyfluoroquinolone with enhanced activity against Gram-positive, atypical agents, and some anerobes, and broad-spectrum activity against Gram-negative bacteria [ ]. It is bactericidal and produces a post-antibiotic effect in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Gatifloxacin is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract (oral availability almost 100%), and concomitant administration of a continental breakfast, 1050 kcal, had no effect on its…

See also Fluoroquinolones General information Garenoxacin (T-3811ME, BMS-284756) is a des-F(6) quinolone that is effective in vitro against a wide range of clinically important pathogens, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobes and anaerobes [ ]. Drug studies You’re Reading a Preview Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles Become membership If you are a member. Log in here

General information Ganciclovir (dihydroxypropoxymethylguanine) is a nucleoside analogue with antiviral activity in vitro against herpesviruses. Intracellular phosphorylation of ganciclovir to its triphosphate derivative, which acts as a competitive inhibitor of deoxyguanosine triphosphate, leads to the inhibition of viral DNA synthesis. Because its toxicity profile is more favorable than those of foscarnet and cidofovir, it should be considered first-line treatment of life-threatening or sight-threatening cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections…

General information Sodium gammahydroxybutyrate (GHB or sodium oxybate) is an endogenous compound, a precursor of GABA, which increases the release of dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain. It was first synthesized in 1960 as a potential anesthetic, and was popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a dietary supplement (as a replacement for l -tryptophan after it had been recalled from the market), an…

General information Gallium is a metallic element (symbol Ga; atomic no. 31) that has been used in the form of a radiopharmaceutical ( 67 Ga as the citrate) in diagnostic imaging of cancers, inflammation, and infection [ ]. The mechanisms of the therapeutic activity of gallium have been reviewed [ ]. Gallium nitrate has been used as a therapeutic agent in certain malignancies [ ], since…

General information Gallamine is a non-depolarizing muscle relaxant. For intubation, a dose of about 2 mg/kg (some authors say 3–4 mg/kg) is necessary, and the duration of effect is then similar to the usual intubating doses of d -tubocurarine or pancuronium. A dose of 1–1.5 mg/kg is usually sufficient to produce apnea and adequate abdominal relaxation. Such doses are said to be short-acting (20 minutes) but…

General information Gadolinium chelates for MRI are inert, non-metabolized, small molecules, with essentially the same pharmacokinetic properties as the iodinated contrast agents [ ]. They are rapidly distributed in the extracellular fluid spaces, both intravascular and extravascular, although they do not cross the normal blood–brain barrier, and are almost entirely excreted by glomerular filtration, with no significant active tubular excretion or re-absorption. Hepatic excretion occurs in…

See also Antiepileptic drugs General information Gabapentin is used as adjunctive treatment for partial seizures and may be useful in some non-epileptic disorders, such as neuropathic pain. It has a favorable tolerability profile and is devoid of significant interactions with other anticonvulsants [ ]. Major adverse reactions to gabapentin include dizzy spells, drowsiness, fatigue, and headache [ ]. Drug studies Observational studies The efficacy of gabapentin…

General information Fusidic acid is the best-known representative of a group of antibiotics with steroid structures, which are eliminated primarily by biliary excretion as microbiologically inactive metabolites. The antibacterial action of fusidic acid is bacteriostatic, although it can be bactericidal at higher concentrations. It exerts its antibacterial effect by inhibiting protein synthesis, but the exact mechanism by which this inhibition occurs has not yet been elucidated.…

General information Furosemide is one of the so-called high-ceiling or loop diuretics, which can achieve a much greater peak diuresis than the thiazides. It is widely and frequently used both orally and parenterally over a wider dosage range than the thiazide diuretics, because its concentration–effect curve is steeper and because it is effective in patients with moderate renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance 5–25 ml/minute), in whom the…

General information Furazolidone has been used in the treatment of giardiasis. Adverse reactions are usually mild and transient: abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting; the urine may be dark-colored [ ]. Metabolites of furazolidone inhibit monoamine oxidase [ , ] and there is therefore the potential for interactions with monoamines and with opioid analgesics; hyperpyrexia has been reported in rabbits that were given furazolidone and pethidine […

General information Furaltadone, 5-morpholinomethyl-3-(5-nitrofurfuryliden-amino)oxazolidin-2-one), is a crystalline antibiotic powder that is added to animal feeds. You’re Reading a Preview Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles Become membership If you are a member. Log in here

General information Fumaric acid esters are used to treat a variety of skin disorders, including psoriasis [ ], cutaneous sarcoidosis [ ], necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum [ ], and disseminated granuloma annulare [ ]. Dimethylfumarate has been used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, to reduce the frequency of relapse and to slow the onset of disability [ ]. It activates the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2…

General information Attention has been drawn to the use of fructose-based and sorbitol-based solutions for parenteral administration in Germany and German-speaking countries, where they are available for routine fluid replacement and intravenous feeding, and are widely prescribed, even after minor surgical procedures [ ]. Their main advantage is claimed to be the avoidance of a blood glucose raising effect, particularly in severely ill patients with glucose…

General information Preparations from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata have been used as traditional remedies in Ayurvedic medicine in India for inflammatory diseases [ ]. The gum contains substances that have anti-inflammatory properties; they are pentacyclic triterpenes related to boswellic acid, which inhibit leukotriene biosynthesis in neutrophilic granulocytes by inhibiting 5-lipoxygenase. Certain boswellic acids also inhibit elastase in leukocytes, inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and inhibit…

See also Opioid receptor agonists General information Frakefamide is a peripherally acting opioid MOR (μ or OP 3 ) receptor agonist. It has restricted penetration of the blood–brain barrier into the central nervous system and has selective MOR receptor agonist activity. It is a large molecule (molar mass 600 Da), a fluorinated tetrapeptide, H-Tyr-(D)Ala-(pF)Phe-Phe-NH 2 hydrochloride, with potent analgesic activity in both rats and humans. You’re…