The Efficacy of Nitric Oxide-Generating Lozenges on Outcome in Newly Diagnosed COVID-19 Patients of African American and Hispanic Origin.

Background: The study was initiated in 2020 to test the efficacy of a nitric oxide-generating lozenge (NOL) in outpatients with newly diagnosed COVID-19 to mitigate disease severity. The study enrolled high-risk patients, African American and Latino.

Methods: This was a randomized, double-blinded, prospective, placebo-controlled trial.

Formulation, Characterization, and the Diuretic Effects of a New Intravenous Metolazone Emulsion.

Objective: Acute decompensated heart failure is often treated with a combination of loop and thiazide-like diuretics. Of these thiazide-like diuretics, two common choices are intravenous chlorothiazide or oral metolazone. Metolazone is more potent and has a longer duration of action, but since it is an oral formulation, it has a longer on-set time as compared to chlorothiazide.

Model-Informed Development of Sotalol Loading and Dose Escalation Employing an Intravenous Infusion.

Background: Sotalol is often employed to prevent recurrence of symptomatic atrial flutter/atrial fibrillation. Because sotalol can prolong the QT interval excessively causing ventricular arrhythmias, a 3-day in-hospital loading or dose escalation period is mandated with oral administration in the product label for patient safety. In patients with normal renal function, 3 days (five oral doses) are required to obtain steady state maximum sotalol concentration, which results in maximum QT prolongation.

Inhibition of Human Ether-A-Go-Go-Related Gene (hERG) Potassium Current by the Novel Sotalol Analogue, Soestalol.

The clinical utility of intravenous sotalol is limited due to an extended half-life combined with the potential to generate life-threatening arrhythmias. The authors developed a novel sotalol analogue, soestalol, with an ester linkage introduced to the molecule to shorten half-life. Their hypothesis was that soestalol, but not the acid metabolite, would inhibit the hERG potassium current.

What is New in Pharmacologic Therapy for Cardiac Resuscitation?

Antiarrhythmic therapy can be a critical component of cardiac resuscitation. Therapies in this area have seen little advance in the last decade. Bretylium, a very old drug, has been reintroduced for ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) therapy.

Intravenous Sotalol for the Treatment of Ventricular Dysrhythmias in an Infant on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Sotalol is a class III anti-arrhythmic agent with beta receptor blocking properties. Intravenous (IV) sotalol may be useful to treat refractory atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. A report on the efficacy and safety of IV sotalol in an infant on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), who developed refractory ventricular arrhythmias following surgery for congenital heart disease.

Sotalol versus Amiodarone in Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.

The availability of intravenous (IV) Sotalol has equalized the treatment options since both amiodarone and sotalol are available in both IV and oral formulations. A review of the efficacy of sotalol as compared to amiodarone both for conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) and maintenance of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) following cardiac surgery was undertaken. Standard methods of meta-analysis were employed.

Efficacy of Intravenous and Oral Sotalol in Pharmacologic Conversion of Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The role of sotalol is well established for the maintenance of sinus rhythm after successful conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, its role in pharmacologic conversion of AF is poorly defined. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of sotalol to that of other antiarrhythmic agents for AF conversion.