Impact of hydroxychloroquine on disease progression and ICU admissions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Purpose: To evaluate whether use of hydroxychloroquine was associated with a reduced likelihood of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the early weeks of the pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted to determine selected treatment outcomes in 336 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at an acute care community hospital in the Hudson Valley region of New York from March 20 to April 20, 2020. Eligibility included admission to the hospital, a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and no need for intubation or intensive care at admission.

Long-Term Efficacy of Oral Vancomycin Prophylaxis for the Prevention of Recurrence.

Background: Limited evidence suggests that prophylactic oral vancomycin may be beneficial in preventing infection (CDI) recurrence, but long-term efficacy is unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of oral vancomycin prophylaxis (OVP) in preventing CDI recurrence in subjects who require subsequent antibiotic exposure.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a community hospital.

Identification, pharmacologic considerations, and management of prostatitis.

Background: Prostatitis is a collection of signs and symptoms that occur as a result of inflammation or swelling of the prostate gland. There are many different causes for prostatitis, including infection; occasionally no clear etiology for the inflammation is found. Effective treatment often depends on identification of the cause, but a microbiologic organism is not always detectable, especially in cases of chronic prostatitis.

Aerosolized Delivery of Antifungal Agents.

Pulmonary infections caused by Aspergillus species are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Although the treatment of pulmonary fungal infections requires the use of systemic agents, aerosolized delivery is an attractive option in prevention because the drug can concentrate locally at the site of infection with minimal systemic exposure. Current clinical evidence for the use of aerosolized delivery in preventing fungal infections is limited to amphotericin B products, although itraconazole, voriconazole, and caspofungin are under investigation.

Etravirine: a second-generation nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) active against NNRTI-resistant strains of HIV.

Background: Since 1981, the AIDs epidemic has continued to expand and, at the end of 2007, there were ~33 million people worldwide living with HIV, including 1.2 million in North America.

Objective: This article provides a comprehensive overview of the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) etravirine when used in treatment-experienced adult patients with multidrug-resistant HIV infections.

Posaconazole: an extended-spectrum triazole antifungal agent.

Background: The incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by opportunistic filamentous molds is increasing, along with emerging fungal resistance. Posaconazole, a structural analogue of itraconazole that was approved for marketing in the United States in 2006, appears to be a promising antifungal agent.

Objective: This article provides an overview of the pharmacology, efficacy, and tolerability of posaconazole when used for the prophylaxis and treatment of various common and rare fungal infections.

Pegaptanib sodium for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a review.

Objective: This article reviews available information on the new selective vascular endothelial growth factor aptamer pegaptanib in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, contraindications, and drug-interaction potential of pegaptanib are discussed, and the results of clinical trials evaluating its efficacy and tolerability are summarized.

Methods: Relevant articles were identified through searches of MEDLINE (1966-June 2005) and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970-June 2005).

Identification, management, and prevention of adverse effects associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Purpose: The adverse effects associated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), as well as potential options available for management of these complications, are summarized.

Summary: Effective treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection requires three or four drug regimens that are complicated and commonly associated with adverse effects. This makes compliance difficult and can result in treatment failures, development of resistance, and loss of future treatment options.