Antifungal peptide-loaded alginate microfiber wound dressing evaluated against Candida albicans in vitro and ex vivo.

Invasive fungal infections have high mortality rates, and many current antimycotics are limited by host toxicity and drug resistance. Recent experiments in our laboratory have demonstrated the antifungal activity of dKn2-7, a synthetic peptide, against Candida albicans. The purpose of the current study was to develop a wound dressing capable of dKn2-7 release for extended periods to help combat fungal infection in wounds.

Medication Management in Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Psychiatric Pharmacists in Primary Care.

This study describes the role of psychiatric pharmacists (PPs) in medication management at a county-hospital-based primary care clinic serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). During a 20-week period, PPs provided 308 interventions for 97 patients with IDD, 55% of whom had a concomitant psychiatric/behavioral disorder and 70% of whom were taking at least one psychotropic medication. PP services included medication reviews (48%), medication histories (13%), collaborative care (12%), pharmacotherapy interventions (11%), advisory services (9%), and patient/caregiver education (7%).

Pharmacist-Driven Alcohol Use Disorder Screening May Increase Inpatient Utilization of Extended-Release Naltrexone: A Single Center Pilot Study.

Individuals with mental illness have a high incidence of comorbid substance use, with one of the most prevalent being alcohol use disorder (AUD). Naltrexone, FDA-approved for AUD, decreases reward associated with alcohol-related social cues. This study aimed to determine if a pharmacist-driven screening tool would increase the use of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) in patients with AUD and a comorbid psychiatric condition.

Use of Intramuscular Chlorpromazine Versus Intramuscular Olanzapine for the Management of Acute Agitation and Aggression in Youth.

Objectives: In the inpatient psychiatric setting, one treatment strategy used to manage acute agitation in youth includes administration of IM antipsychotics. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of IM chlorpromazine versus IM olanzapine in treating aggression in youth.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients younger than 18 years hospitalized in the inpatient psychiatric unit who received either IM chlorpromazine or IM olanzapine for acute agitation.

Degradation of an Aromatic Polyanhydride with Enhanced Thermal Properties.

Polyanhydrides have been studied as a drug delivery vehicles due to their surface-eroding behavior which results in zero-order release. However, many polyanhyrides have thermal and solubility properties that make them difficult to formulate for these applications. Poly[α,α'-bis(-carboxyphenoxy)--xylene] (CPX) is an aromatic polyanhydride that has thermal and solubility properties enabling facile processing.

Salicylic Acid-Based Polymers for Guided Bone Regeneration Using Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is used clinically to promote spinal fusion, treat complex tibia fractures, and to promote bone formation in craniomaxillofacial surgery. Excessive bone formation at sites where BMP-2 has been applied is an established complication and one that could be corrected by guided tissue regeneration methods. In this study, anti-inflammatory polymers containing salicylic acid [salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-ester), SAPAE] were electrospun with polycaprolactone (PCL) to create thin flexible matrices for use as guided bone regeneration membranes.

Poly(anhydride-ester) and poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) blends: salicylic acid-releasing blends with hydrogel-like properties that reduce inflammation.

Polymers such as poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) have been used to prepare hydrogels for wound dressing applications but are not inherently bioactive. For enhanced healing, PVP was blended with salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-esters) (SAPAE) and shown to exhibit hydrogel properties upon swelling. In vitro release studies demonstrated that the chemically incorporated drug (SA) was released from the polymer blends over 3-4 d in contrast to 3 h, and that blends of higher PVP content displayed greater swelling values and faster SA release.

Tunable drug release profiles from salicylate-based poly(anhydride-ester) matrices using small molecule admixtures.

Poly(anhydride-esters) with salicylic acid, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, chemically incorporated into the polymer backbone provide high inherent drug loading. These poly(anhydride-esters) hydrolytically degrade to release salicylic acid over extended time periods (>30 days); however, an initial lag period of no salicylic acid release is observed. This lag period could be unfavorable in applications where immediate salicylic acid release is desired.

Development of a guided bone regeneration device using salicylic acid-poly(anhydride-ester) polymers and osteoconductive scaffolds.

Successful repair of craniofacial and periodontal tissue defects ideally involves a combined therapy that includes inflammation modulation, control of soft tissue infiltration, and bone regeneration. In this study, an anti-inflammatory polymer, salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-ester) (SAPAE) and a three-dimensional osteoconductive ceramic scaffold were evaluated as a combined guided bone regeneration (GBR) system for concurrent control of inflammation, soft tissue ingrowth, and bone repair in a rabbit cranial defect model. At time periods of 1, 3, and 8 weeks, five groups were compared: (1) scaffolds with a solid ceramic cap (as a GBR structure); (2) scaffolds with no cap; (3) scaffolds with a poly(lactide-glycolide) cap; (4) scaffolds with a slow release SAPAE polymer cap; and (5) scaffolds with a fast release SAPAE polymer cap.