Gabapentin for Pain in Pediatric Palliative Care.

Objective: Gabapentin is commonly used to treat pain in children receiving pediatric palliative care. This study describes the real-world use of gabapentin and the associated benefits and adverse effects/events (AEs).

Methods: A prospective, multicenter cohort of standardized data collection after a clinical decision was made to use gabapentin for managing neuropathic or nociplastic pain in children attended on by a pediatric palliative care service.

Pharmacovigilance in hospice/palliative care: Net effect of amitriptyline or nortriptyline on neuropathic pain: UTS/IMPACCT Rapid programme international consecutive cohort.

Background: Real-world effectiveness of interventions in palliative care need to be systematically quantified to inform patient/clinical decisions. Neuropathic pain is prevalent and difficult to palliate. Tricyclic antidepressants have an established role for some neuropathic pain aetiologies, but this is less clear in palliative care.

Statin use and risk of acute diverticulitis: A population-based case-control study.

The goal of the study was to examine the association between statin use and the development of acute diverticulitis requiring hospital admission.Acute diverticulitis is a common and costly gastrointestinal disorder. Although the incidence is increasing its pathophysiology and modifiable risk factors are incompletely understood.

Allopurinol use in pregnancy in three women with inflammatory bowel disease: safety and outcomes: a case series.

Background: Allopurinol is a frequently prescribed drug. In inflammatory bowel disease patients who shunt thiopurine metabolism towards more toxic and less desirable pathways, allopurinol is proving to be an effective add on therapy with good resultant disease control and less treatment side effects. As many such patients are young, the potential for pregnant women to be exposed to allopurinol is increasing.

A case of valproate induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

A 36-years-old man on phenytoin, levetiracetam, and sodium valproate presented with acute confusion. Routine investigations including serum valproate and phenytoin concentration were normal. His serum ammonia concentration was raised.

A longitudinal study of plasma and urinary cortisol in pregnancy and postpartum.

Context: There is a paucity of longitudinal data on plasma and urinary cortisol levels during pregnancy using modern assays. Furthermore, conflicting data exist as to the effect of the low-dose oral contraceptive pill (OCP) on cortisol. DESIGN, SUBJECTS, AND MEASUREMENTS: We conducted a prospective longitudinal study on morning plasma cortisol (total and free), corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), and 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFC) levels in 20 pregnant women during the first, second, and third trimesters and 2-3 months postpartum compared with 12 subjects on low-dose OCP and 15 nonpregnant subjects not taking the OCP (control group).