An interprofessional approach to reducing the overutilization of stress ulcer prophylaxis in adult medical and surgical intensive care units.

Background: Overutilization of stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is common. Acid-suppressive therapies routinely used for SUP are best reserved for patients with greatest risk of clinically important bleeding as they have been associated with nosocomial pneumonia, Clostridium difficile infection and increased hospital cost.

Objective: The primary objective was to reduce inappropriate utilization of SUP in 2 adult medical and surgical ICU settings at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.

Peramivir: an intravenous neuraminidase inhibitor for the treatment of 2009 H1N1 influenza.

Objective: To review the efficacy and safety of peramivir, an unapproved neuraminidase inhibitor recently granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of 2009 H1N1 influenza in select patients.

Data Sources: Literature was accessed via MEDLINE (1950-April 2010) using the search terms peramivir, BCX-1812, RWJ 270201, influenza H1N1, swine influenza, and neuraminidase inhibitors. The manufacturer of peramivir, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, was contacted for unpublished data and information presented at recent scientific meetings.

The laminin alpha-1 chain derived peptide, AG73, increases fibronectin levels in breast and melanoma cancer cells.

Laminin-111 promotes the malignant phenotype, and a 12-mer synthetic peptide (AG73, RKRLQVQLSIRT) from the carboxyl terminus of the alpha1 chain increases B16F10 melanoma metastasis to the lung and liver. Using an antibody array, fibronectin was identified as an up-regulated protein in B16F10 cells after incubation with this peptide. The increased fibronectin is cell-associated with no increase in soluble fibronectin.

Endogenous osteonectin/SPARC/BM-40 expression inhibits MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell metastasis.

Skeletal metastases occur with high incidence in patients with breast cancer and cause long-term skeletal morbidity. Osteonectin (SPARC, BM-40) is a bone matrix factor that is an in vitro chemoattractant for breast and prostate cancer cells. Increased expression of osteonectin is found in malignant breast tumors.