Dosage Adjustment of Dabigatran Etexilate Based on Creatinine Clearance in Patients With Cardioembolic Stroke or Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: A recommendation for dosage adjustment of dabigatran etexilate, a prodrug of dabigatran, seems to be desirable based on creatinine clearance to avoid bleeding and stroke.

Methods: Outpatients and inpatients having a history of cardioembolic stroke or atrial fibrillation were included. After taking dabigatran etexilate orally (75-150 mg twice daily) for at least 1 week, plasma trough concentration (Ctrough, ng/mL) of dabigatran and creatinine clearance (CLcr, mL/min) of patients according to Cockcroft and Gault equation were determined.

Interaction of magnesium oxide with gastric acid secretion inhibitors in clinical pharmacotherapy.

Purpose: Magnesium oxide (MgO), a short-term osmotic laxative, is converted into MgCl2 under acidic condition in the stomach and then Mg(HCO3)2 in the intestinal tract, where Mg(HCO3)2 induces the water exudation into the intestine. This indicates that the laxative effect of MgO could be attenuated under the suppressed gastric acid secretion. In this study, the possible interaction of MgO with gastric acid secretion inhibitors was evaluated by using electronic patient records of MgO dosage levels.