Clinical Outcomes with Ertapenem for Pneumonia in Obese versus Nonobese Patients.

The objective of this study was to compare the rate of pneumonia resolution in obese (body mass index [BMI], ≥30 kg/m2) and nonobese (BMI, <30 kg/m2) patients treated with 1 gram ertapenem daily. In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated patients treated at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center between 1 January 2015 and 31 August 2020. Patients were included if they were between 18 and 89 years old and received ertapenem for at least 48 hours for pneumonia treatment. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant, were incarcerated, had renal impairment, received antibiotics with Gram-negative activity for a significant period prior to or in addition to ertapenem, and had other concomitant deep-seated infections. The primary outcome of clinical resolution was defined as meeting any of the following three criteria in order of evaluations: discontinuation of antibiotics by day 8 of therapy, afebrile while on ertapenem in addition to a decrease in white blood cell count, or improvement on chest radiograph at day 7 of therapy. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between obesity and clinical resolution, while adjusting for proven confounders. There were 76 nonobese and 65 obese patients included. The median patient BMI was 23.7 kg/m2 (21.0 to 26.9) and 35.0 kg/m2 (32.8 to 39.8) for the nonobese and obese cohorts, respectively. Clinical resolution was achieved in 78% (59/76) of nonobese and 75% (49/65) of obese patients (P = 0.75) without an observed difference in the regression model. Outcomes were similar in obese and nonobese patients treated with 1 gram of ertapenem daily for pneumonia.

A systematic review of apixaban in prevention and treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the second leading cause of death in patients with cancer after disease progression. Thus, timely initiation of anticoagulation after diagnosis of a VTE is required to prevent significant sequelae. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are newer anticoagulant options for cancer associated VTE (CA-VTE), which historically has been treated with low molecular weight heparin. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to review the available literature evaluating the use of apixaban for CA-VTE. METHODS: A systematic review (following PRISMA Guidelines) of MEDLINE and EMBASE using the search terms "apixaban" AND "cancer" AND "VTE" was performed from database inception through May 20, 2020. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were full articles fulfilling the following criteria: (1) randomized controlled trial (RCT) or prospective cohort study, or (2) subgroup analysis of an RCT, and (3) reported clinical outcomes associated with apixaban for prevention or treatment of VTE in patients with cancer. RESULTS: A total of 532 articles were identified. After duplicates were removed, 423 articles were screened, and 12 articles were eligible for full-text review. Of the 12 articles, 2 were excluded for having no comparator group, and 2 were excluded for being abstracts only. Ultimately, 8 articles met the inclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The available literature supports the safety and efficacy of apixaban for the treatment and prevention of CA-VTE. With the recent publication of the CARAVAGGIO trial, we anticipate that apixaban will be uniformly recommended in national guidelines as a treatment option for CA-VTE.

Efficacy of Capsaicin for the Treatment of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is characterized by cyclic vomiting, abdominal pain, and alleviation of symptoms via hot showers in chronic cannabinoid users. Capsaicin is recommended as a reasonable first-line treatment approach for CHS despite limited clinical evidence regarding its use. The objective of this study is to systematically review the efficacy data for capsaicin in CHS. Data Sources: A literature search using keywords related to cannabinoids, emesis, and capsaicin was performed in MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE from inception through March 31, 2019. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Studies and published abstracts in which capsaicin was used for CHS and clinical outcomes were reported were eligible for inclusion. Data Synthesis: A total of 241 articles were screened, of which 5 full-text articles and 6 conference abstracts were included. Full-text case reports (n = 3) and case series (n = 2) found capsaicin to be effective in a total of 18 patients. Published abstracts were in the form of case reports (n = 1), case series (n = 3), and retrospective cohort studies (n = 2). Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Capsaicin use was described as beneficial in all case series and case reports; however, both retrospective cohort studies were unable to find a significant benefit for capsaicin on primary outcomes (emergency department length of stay). Conclusion: Current data for capsaicin efficacy in CHS is of low methodological quality. However, the limited data on alternative antiemetic therapies and capsaicin's favorable risk-benefit profile make it a reasonable adjunctive treatment option.