Generating signals of drug-adverse effects from prescription databases and application to the risk of arrhythmia associated with antibacterials.

Background: Although it is well known that a variety of antibacterials may incidentally cause malignant arrhythmia, the list of drugs causing arrhythmia and the impact of these adverse effects are still uncertain. We investigated on this topic by using a large prescription database with different observational designs.

Methods: Prescription data on all incident users of several antibacterial and antiarrhythmic drugs over the period July 1997 through December 1999 were retrieved from the Drug Prescription Database (DPD) of the Italian Province of Varese.

Long-term endothelial changes after implantation of anterior chamber intraocular lenses in cataract surgery.

Purpose: To determine and quantify corneal endothelial damage after primary or secondary implantation of anterior chamber intraocular lenses (AC IOLs).

Setting: Eye Clinic, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.

Methods: This retrospective study comprised 125 patients who had implantation of an AC IOL from January 1987 to December 1998.