See also Anticholinergic drugs General information Bornaprine, a synthetic quaternary ammonium compound, has been used as an anticholinergic drug in treating Parkinson’s disease [ , ]. It has also been used to treat hyperhidrosis [ ]. Its adverse effects are those characteristic of the anticholinergic drugs. You’re Reading a Preview Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles Become membership If you…

General information In the past, boric acid was falsely considered to be relatively non-toxic, and had an unwarranted reputation as a germicide. However, it is only bacteriostatic, even in a saturated aqueous solution, and can cause adverse reactions. Boric acid has often proved poisonous, either by ingestion or after local use. Cases from the world literature have been reviewed [ , ]. In 172 cases of…

See also Herbal medicines General information The genera in the family of Boraginaceae ( Table 1 ) include bluebells, borage, comfrey, and forget-me-nots. Table 1 Genera of Boraginaceae Alkanna (alkanna) Amsinckia (fiddleneck) Anchusa (bugloss) Antiphytum (saucerflower) Argusia (sea rosemary) Asperugo (German-madwort) Borago (borage) Bothriospermum (bothriospermum) Bourreria (strongbark) Brunnera (brunnera) Buglossoides (buglossoides) Carmona (scorpionbush) Cordia (cordia) Cryptantha (cryptantha) Cynoglossum (hound’s tongue) Dasynotus (whitethroat) Echium (vipersbugloss) Ehretia (ehretia)…

General information There are various makes of meters used for measuring the blood glucose concentration. On occasion, some have been found to give false readings. In early June 1998, the manufacturers of SureStep blood glucose meters (LifeScan) announced that they were going to replace some of the meters used by diabetics to test their blood sugar concentration because they were giving confusing error readings. SureStep home…

General information Among the various adverse reactions to blood donation, vasovagal syncope and convulsive reactions are of concern to collection centers, as they may alarm potential first-time donors. First-time donors have a higher frequency of these reactions (1.7%) than repeat donors (0.2%), and donors who have such reactions donate fewer times than those without reactions [ ]. Donors who react are generally of lower weight and…

General information The most common adverse effect of routine blood transfusion is an incompatibility reaction. Massive blood transfusions can cause other adverse effects [ ]. Human error resulting in blood group mismatching is the leading cause of transfusion-related fatalities [ , ]. Although there have been major achievements in transfusion medicine to improve the safety of blood and blood products, the risks of transfusion reactions and…

See also Cytotoxic and immunosuppressant drugs General information Bleomycin is a cytostatic drug that causes double-strand breaks in DNA. It has been used to treat Hodgkin’s disease and a variety of solid cancers. It is often used in combination with other anticancer drugs, for example in the regimens known as ABVD (doxorubicin + bleomycin + vinblastine + dacarbazine) and BEP (bleomycin + etoposide + cisplatin). It…

General information Bivalirudin is a 20-amino acid synthetic polypeptide analogue of hirudin. Once bound, bivalirudin is cleaved by thrombin, thereby reducing its antithrombotic activity. Bivalirudin has a half-life of 25 minutes after intravenous injection and is partially cleared renally; there is no antidote. It has been successfully used in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia [ ]. You’re Reading a Preview Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full…

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 Bithionol is a chlorinated bisphenol with antihelminthic properties. It is active against most trematodes and has been recommended as preferable to praziquantel in fascioliasis and paragonimiasis, proving both effective and well tolerated. Bithionol also has antibacterial properties and was for this reason included for a time in cosmetic formulations. However, when given topically it caused photosensitivity reactions, and this form of application has been…

General information The development of bisphosphonates for clinical purposes began with the discovery that inorganic pyrophosphate is present in blood and urine and inhibits the precipitation of calcium and phosphate [ ]. Derivatives of pyrophosphate had been widely used for industrial purposes, because they inhibit the precipitation of calcium carbonate. Their principal use was as antiscaling additives in washing powders, water, and oil brines, to prevent…

See also Beta-adrenoceptor antagonists General information Bisoprolol is a highly selective β 1 -adrenoceptor antagonist. Its adverse effects profile is similar to that of atenolol [ ], and despite theoretical benefits there is no convincing clinical evidence that bisoprolol has an advantage [ ]. You’re Reading a Preview Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles Become membership If you are a…

General information Bismuth is a brittle reddish-white metallic element (symbol Bi; atomic no. 83). It enjoyed great popularity up to the early 20th century, and thereafter continued to be used in the form of insoluble bismuth compounds, used for their supposed effects on the gastric wall as antacids, protective coatings, or inhibitors of proteolytic activity. The use of bismuth was particularly heavy in Australia, where bismuth…

See also Anticholinergic drugs General information Biperiden is given orally in doses rising from 2 to 6 mg/day, more being given in individual cases. Of the anticholinergic effects that biperiden can cause, drowsiness seems to be one of the most prominent; biperiden should not be given to patients who have to drive motor vehicles. A dose of 12 mg has been reported to precipitate involuntary movements…

See also Vitamins General information Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex (vitamin B 10 , also called vitamin H), and is found in many foods, especially eggs and liver. Biotin is involved in the action of four carboxylases: acetyl-CoA carboxylase, which catalyses the binding of bicarbonate to acetyl-CoA to form malonyl-CoA in the synthesis of fatty acids; pyruvate carboxylase, which is involved in…

See also Prostaglandins General information Bimatoprost is an analogue of PGF 2α , used to treat glaucoma. It is believed to lower intraocular pressure by increasing the outflow of aqueous humor through both the trabecular meshwork and uveoscleral routes. 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…

General information The bile acids are used in the long-term treatment of cholesterol gallstones. Ursodeoxycholic acid is the 7-epimer of chenodeoxycholic acid. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid is a derivative of ursodeoxycholic acid. Drug studies Observational studies In a retrospective review of medical records over 12 months, ursodeoxycholic acid (20 mg/kg/day) reduced serum bilirubin concentrations in four of five children with cholestasis and hyperbilirubinemia [ ]. No adverse reactions…

General information Metformin (rINN) is the only biguanide commonly used; buformin (rINN) and phenformin (rINN) have been withdrawn in many countries [ ] because of dangerous adverse effects. However, they are still available in a few countries, and with increasing travel, adverse effects of drugs no longer available in one country can occur if the drug is obtained elsewhere. Biguanides as a group [ ] and…

See also Antiandrogens General information Mason has reviewed the role of antiandrogens in the treatment of prostate cancer, arguing that with earlier initiation of therapy the long-term adverse effects of castration need to provide the standard by which the acceptability of drugs such as bicalutamide is judged [ ]. There is now evidence that bicalutamide confers significant overall survival benefit when used as an adjuvant to…

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