Elevated hepatic transaminases associated with telithromycin therapy: a case report and literature review.

Purpose: A case of mild hepatocellular injury associated with the administration of telithromycin in a patient with no risk factors for hepatotoxicity is presented.

Summary: A 44-year-old man with no significant past medical history arrived at the emergency room after six days of high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, and back pain. Five days earlier, he visited a family medicine clinic for his symptoms and oral telithromycin 800 mg daily was prescribed for a suspected upper-respiratory-tract infection.

Benefits and risks of aprotinin use during cardiac surgery.

Aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor with antithrombotic, antifibrinolytic, and antiinflammatory effects. It is effective in reducing bleeding and the need for blood transfusions after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Additional benefits, such as cerebral protection, are hypothesized but not yet thoroughly substantiated.

Aprotinin use in cardiac surgery patients at low risk for requiring blood transfusion.

Study Objectives: To determine if aprotinin is safe and effective in patients at low risk for requiring blood transfusion after cardiac surgery by evaluating whether there is any significant difference in blood product use or other significant clinical outcomes between patients who received aprotinin versus those who did not.

Design: Retrospective review.

Setting: Inpatient community nonteaching hospital.