DOCSLIB.ORG

An Evidence-Based Review of the Efficacy of Antihistamines in Relieving Pruritus in Atopic Dermatitis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Evidence-Based Review of the Efficacy of Antihistamines in Relieving Pruritus in Atopic Dermatitis EVIDENCE-BASED DERMATOLOGY: ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION An Evidence-Based Review of the Efficacy of Antihistamines in Relieving Pruritus in Atopic Dermatitis Peter A. Klein, MD, MPA; Richard A. F. Clark, MD Objective: To critically review the body of clinical tri- use of antihistamines in relieving pruritus. One grade B als that refute or support the efficacy of antihistamines trial supported the efficacy of antihistamines in reliev- in relieving pruritus in patients with atopic dermatitis. ing pruritus. All remaining trials (grade C) lacked pla- cebo controls or randomization, or contained fewer than Design: Review of MEDLINE from 1966 through March 20 patients in each treatment group. 1999, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Best Evidence to identify therapeutic trials of antihista- Conclusions: Although antihistamines are often used mines in patients with atopic dermatitis. in the treatment of atopic dermatitis, little objective evi- dence exists to demonstrate relief of pruritus. The ma- Main Outcome Measures: All randomized con- jority of trials are flawed in terms of the sample size or trolled trials or clinical trials of antihistamines used in study design. Based on the literature alone, the efficacy the treatment of atopic dermatitis. We found 16 studies of antihistamines remains to be adequately investi- throughout the literature. gated. Anecdotally, sedating antihistamines have some- times been useful by virtue of their soporific effect and Results: Large, randomized, double-blind, placebo- bedtime use may be warranted. There is no evidence to controlled clinical trials with definitive conclusions (grade support the effectiveness of expensive nonsedating agents. A trials) have not been performed. Two grade B trials (small, rigorous, randomized trials with uncertain re- sults due to moderate to high a or b error) refuted the Arch Dermatol. 1999;135:1522-1525 TOPIC dermatitis is a com- receptor antihistamines in managing pru- mon chronic or relapsing ritus in atopic dermatitis, few random- eczematous dermatitis ized, double-blind, placebo-controlled characterized by intense clinical studies have evaluated efficacy. In pruritus and occurring pri- addition to older sedating formulations, ex- Amarily in infants and children with a per- pensive nonsedating agents are some- sonal or family history of atopy. Nine per- times used in the absence of any clinical cent to 12% of all children are affected with evidence that demonstrates relief of pru- atopic dermatitis,1,2 and 60% to 70% of ritus. those with mild to severe dermatitis will continue to experience symptoms into RESULTS adulthood.3,4 A significant proportion of patients who have outgrown the typical Sixteen studies have evaluated the effi- manifestations of the disease develop ir- cacy of antihistamines in relieving pruri- ritant dermatitis, which may be chronic tus in patients with atopic dermatitis. and work-disabling, especially in the con- Large, randomized, double-blind, placebo- text of wet, dirty, or caustic conditions.5 controlled clinical trials with definitive Pruritus is one of the most common conclusions have not been performed symptoms of atopic dermatitis. The itch- (grade A trials). Two grade B trials refute scratch cycle exacerbates damage to the the use of antihistamines in relieving pru- epidermal barrier thereby increasing wa- ritus and 1 grade B trial supports the ef- ter loss and drying, which creates a suit- ficacy of antihistamines. Four grade C tri- 7-22 From the Department of able environment for skin pathogens to als refute and 9 grade C trials support Dermatology, State University cause infection and flaring of symptoms. the antipruritic effects of antihistamines. of New York at Stony Brook. Despite the frequent use of histamine H1 These results are summarized in the ARCH DERMATOL / VOL 135, DEC 1999 WWW.ARCHDERMATOL.COM 1522 ©1999 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Downloaded From: https://jamanetwork.com/ on 09/29/2021 cision of the study. Because of the small number of sub- jects and the imprecision of the point estimate of pruri- METHODS tus relief, a treatment effect cannot be ruled out. Wahlgren et al8 performed a randomized, double- We searched the MEDLINE database for trials of an- blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of terfena- tihistamines published from 1966 through March dine, 60 mg twice daily, and clemastine fumarate, 2 mg 1999. The search used the keywords dermatitis, atopic/ twice daily for 3 days with intervening 4-day washout therapy or eczema/therapy and histamine H1 antago- periods. The study was randomized with a double- nists/therapy with publication types randomized con- dummy protocol, with each patient receiving 3 courses trolled trial or clinical trial. The Cochrane Database in random order: (1) active terfenadine and placebo clem- of Systematic Reviews and Best Evidence databases astine fumarate; (2) placebo terfenadine and active clem- were also searched using the keywords atopic der- astine fumarate; and (3) placebo terfenadine and pla- matitis and eczema. The quality of each trial was 6 cebo clemastine fumarate. Twenty-five adults fulfilling ranked by applying a modified version of Sackett’s 23 criteria for clinical evidence. Grade A trials are large, the criteria of Hanifin and Rajka were enrolled in the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled stud- study. Age, sex, disease duration, and history of atopy ies with low false-positive (a) and low false- were provided. Patients were permitted to use topical hy- negative (b) errors. Grade A trials lead to definitive drocortisone and emollients during the study. The quan- conclusions with precise point estimates of treat- tity of topical hydrocortisone used during the 4-day wash- ment effect. Grade B studies are also randomized, out period after each treatment course was comparable double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, but in- between groups. Patients recorded pruritus using visual clude a small number of patients, thereby increas- analog scales and a computerized method for self- ing the likelihood of high false-positive and/or false- recording. The authors found no significant difference negative errors. Grade B results may be statistically in the intensity of itch between the 3 treatment groups significant, for example, yet provide an imprecise point estimate of treatment effects. Grade C trials lack 1 using either assessment method. The sedative effect of or more of the following criteria: randomization, pla- clemastine fumarate was significantly greater than ter- cebo control, or blinding. Trials with fewer than 20 fenadine or placebo, yet its antipruritic effect did not patients in each treatment group are also grade C tri- differ. als. Case reports and case series are categorized as Hannuksela et al9 conducted a randomized, double- grade C trials. blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study of cetirizine hy- drochloride, a nonsedating antihistamine, at 10 mg, 20 mg, or 40 mg taken once daily for 4 weeks. The study included 178 adults, patient characteristics, such as mean Table. The grade B studies present the best evidence avail- age, sex, weight, and prior use of emollients and hydro- able and are discussed below. cortisone were provided. All groups were comparable at Berth-Jones and Graham-Brown7 conducted a ran- baseline. The criteria of Hanifin and Rajka23 were not used domized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover in patient selection. Of the 178 patients, 51 were ex- study of 28 subjects given 120 mg of terfenadine twice cluded from the statistical analysis of efficacy: adverse daily for 1 week. The mean age and fulfillment of the di- reactions (20), noncompliance (19), protocol viola- agnostic criteria of Hanifin and Rajka23 were noted, but tions (5), use of a forbidden drug (5), lost to follow-up the characteristics of the study subjects and their dis- (1), and did not fulfill the inclusion criteria (1). The au- ease severity were not provided. Of the 28 subjects, 4 were thors neither revealed the characteristics and extent of excluded from the analysis due to failure to comply with disease in these dropout patients nor did they address the protocol either by altering their topical steroid treat- the potential effects of their exclusion. The active group ment or by failing to take the trial medications as di- included 26, 34, and 35 patients who received 10 mg, rected. The degree to which these dropout patients dif- 20 mg, and 40 mg of cetirizine hydrochloride daily for 4 fered in terms of disease severity from the remaining weeks, respectively. The placebo group had 32 subjects. subjects was not provided. The subjects were permitted Patients used emollients and hydrocortisone cream dur- to use topical steroids and emollients to maintain their ing the study and the containers were weighed before and dermatitis in a stable condition. The type of topical ste- after the trial. Pruritus was assessed using visual analog roid and the quantity used by each subject were not noted. scales by both investigators and patients. At the end of The first 3 days of the study were a washout period, and the trial, the investigators’ pruritus scores of the active assessment was performed only during the last 4 days of and placebo groups at all doses were significantly de- each treatment. Subjects used visual analog scales to re- creased compared with baseline values. However, none cord the severity of pruritus. Subjects were also exam- of the active groups showed a statistically significant im- ined by investigators at the end of each treatment pe- provement compared with the placebo group. The pa- riod and the severity of excoriation was evaluated. The tients’ pruritus scores at the final visit showed that the mean (±SE) visual analog scores for terfenadine and pla- active and placebo groups had a statistically significant cebo were 23.95 (±4.9) and 25.13 (±5.1), respectively. improvement from baseline values (P #.001). Only the The authors concluded that terfenadine was not effec- group receiving the 40-mg dose showed a statistically sig- tive in relieving pruritus.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 288 Part 348—External Analgesic Drug Products
    Pt. 348 21 CFR Ch. I (4–1–11 Edition) should be used and any or all of the ad- Subpart C—Labeling ditional indications for sunscreen drug 348.50 Labeling of external analgesic drug products may be used. products. (c) Warnings. The labeling of the AUTHORITY: 21 U.S.C. 321, 351, 352, 353, 355, product states, under the heading 360, 371. ‘‘Warnings,’’ the warning(s) for each in- gredient in the combination, as estab- SOURCE: 57 FR 27656, June 19, 1992, unless otherwise noted. lished in the warnings section of the applicable OTC drug monographs un- less otherwise stated in this paragraph Subpart A—General Provisions (c). § 348.1 Scope. (1) For combinations containing a skin (a) An over-the-counter external an- protectant and a sunscreen identified in algesic drug product in a form suitable §§ 347.20(d) and 352.20(b). The warnings for topical administration is generally for sunscreen drug products in recognized as safe and effective and is § 352.60(c) of this chapter are used. not misbranded if it meets each condi- (2) [Reserved] tion in this part and each general con- (d) Directions. The labeling of the dition established in § 330.1 of this product states, under the heading ‘‘Di- chapter. rections,’’ directions that conform to (b) References in this part to regu- the directions established for each in- latory sections of the Code of Federal gredient in the directions sections of Regulations are to chapter I of title 21 the applicable OTC drug monographs, unless otherwise noted. unless otherwise stated in this para- § 348.3 Definitions.
    [Show full text]
  • Deadly Pediatric Poisons: Nine Common Agents That Kill at Low Doses Joshua B
    Emerg Med Clin N Am 22 (2004) 1019–1050 Deadly pediatric poisons: nine common agents that kill at low doses Joshua B. Michael, MD, Matthew D. Sztajnkrycer, MD, PhD* Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA Children are exposed more frequently to potentially toxic substances than any other age group [1]. According to data compiled by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), more than 1.3 million exposures involving children age 12 and younger were reported to poison control centers in 2001 [2]. Of these, more than 1 million (79%) involved children 3 years old or younger. The peak incidence for pediatric poisonings occurs in toddlers age 1 to 3 years, as does the peak incidence for hospitalization [3]. Most exposures in this age group are unintentional and reflect acquisition of developmental milestones and subsequent behaviors while exploring the environment. Children may be attracted to potentially toxic substances based on color or appearance of the agent or the container, mistakenly identifying it as a candy or beverage. Younger children are more willing to taste dangerous substances than older children and perform hand-mouth behaviors nearly 10 times an hour [4,5]. Physical environmental change plays a significant role in the epidemiology of accidental ingestion [6]. In approximately half of all accidental poisonings, the product either was in use at the time of ingestion or had been moved recently from its usual storage site. Ingestion characteristics differ significantly in toddler exposures com- pared with adolescent or adult exposures [7]. Most exposures are nontoxic because the intent is exploration rather than self-harm.
    [Show full text]
  • Pathophysiology and Treatment of Pruritus in Elderly
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences Review Pathophysiology and Treatment of Pruritus in Elderly Bo Young Chung † , Ji Young Um †, Jin Cheol Kim , Seok Young Kang , Chun Wook Park and Hye One Kim * Department of Dermatology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University, Seoul KS013, Korea; [email protected] (B.Y.C.); [email protected] (J.Y.U.); [email protected] (J.C.K.); [email protected] (S.Y.K.); [email protected] (C.W.P.) * Correspondence: [email protected] † These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Pruritus is a relatively common symptom that anyone can experience at any point in their life and is more common in the elderly. Pruritus in elderly can be defined as chronic pruritus in a person over 65 years old. The pathophysiology of pruritus in elderly is still unclear, and the quality of life is reduced. Generally, itch can be clinically classified into six types: Itch caused by systemic diseases, itch caused by skin diseases, neuropathic pruritus, psychogenic pruritus, pruritus with multiple factors, and from unknown causes. Senile pruritus can be defined as a chronic pruritus of unknown origin in elderly people. Various neuronal mediators, signaling mechanisms at neuronal terminals, central and peripheral neurotransmission pathways, and neuronal sensitizations are included in the processes causing itch. A variety of therapies are used and several novel drugs are being developed to relieve itch, including systemic and topical treatments. Keywords: elderly; ion channel; itch; neurotransmission pathophysiology of itch; pruritogen; senile pruritus; treatment of itch 1. Introduction Citation: Chung, B.Y.; Um, J.Y.; Kim, Pruritus is a relatively common symptom that anyone can experience at any point in J.C.; Kang, S.Y.; Park, C.W.; Kim, H.O.
    [Show full text]
  • Matrine Inhibits Itching by Lowering the Activity of Calcium Channel
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Matrine inhibits itching by lowering the activity of calcium channel Xiao Geng1, Hao Shi1, Fan Ye1, Han Du2, Linnan Qian1, Leying Gu1, Guanyi Wu1, Chan Zhu1, Yan Yang1, Changming Wang1, Yuan Zhou1, Guang Yu 1, Qin Liu3, Xinzhong Dong 4,5, 1 1 Received: 12 January 2018 Lei Yu & Zongxiang Tang Accepted: 22 June 2018 Sophorae Flavescentis Radix (SFR) is a medicinal herb with many functions that are involved in anti- Published: xx xx xxxx infammation, antinociception, and anticancer. SFR is also used to treat a variety of itching diseases. Matrine (MT) is one of the main constituents in SFR and also has the efect of relieving itching, but the antipruritic mechanism is still unclear. Here, we investigated the efect of MT on anti-pruritus. In acute and chronic itch models, MT signifcantly inhibited the scratching behavior not only in acute itching induced by histamine (His), chloroquine (CQ) and compound 48/80 with a dose-depended manner, but also in the chronic pruritus models of atopic dermatitis (AD) and acetone-ether-water (AEW) in mice. Furthermore, MT could be detected in the blood after intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) and subcutaneous injection (s.c.). Finally, electrophysiological and calcium imaging results showed that MT inhibited the excitatory synaptic transmission from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord by suppressing the presynaptic N-type calcium channel. Taken together, we believe that MT is a novel drug candidate in treating pruritus diseases, especially for histamine-independent and chronic pruritus, which might be attributed to inhibition of the presynaptic N-type calcium channel.
    [Show full text]
  • Betamethasone (As Dipropionate)
    Decentralised Procedure Public Assessment Report Calcipotriol/Betamethason Orifarm 50 Mikrogramm/g + 0.5 mg/g Gel Calcipotriol (as monohydrate) / Betamethasone (as dipropionate) DE/H/6738/001/DC Applicant: Helm AG Nordkanalstrasse 28 20097 Hamburg Date: 2nd August 2021 This module reflects the scientific discussion for the approval of the above-mentioned product<s>. The procedure was finalised on 19th April 2021. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 4 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 4 II.1 Problem statement ..................................................................................................................... 4 II.2 About the product ..................................................................................................................... 4 II.3 General comments on the submitted dossier .......................................................................... 4 II.4 General comments on compliance with GMP, GLP .............................................................. 4 III. SCIENTIFIC OVERVIEW AND DISCUSSION ................................................................... 5 III.1 Quality aspects ........................................................................................................................... 5 III.2 Non-clinical aspects ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Mining the Essential Oils of the Anthemideae
    African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 3 (12), pp. 706-720, December 2004 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB ISSN 1684–5315 © 2004 Academic Journals Review Mining the essential oils of the Anthemideae Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Ikenobe, 2393, Kagawa-ken, 761-0795, Japan. E-mail: [email protected]; Telfax: +81 (0)87 898 8909. Accepted 21 November, 2004 Numerous members of the Anthemideae are important cut-flower and ornamental crops, as well as medicinal and aromatic plants, many of which produce essential oils used in folk and modern medicine, the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. These oils and compounds contained within them are used in the pharmaceutical, flavour and fragrance industries. Moreover, as people search for alternative and herbal forms of medicine and relaxation (such as aromatherapy), and provided that there are no suitable synthetic substitutes for many of the compounds or difficulty in profiling and mimicking complex compound mixtures in the volatile oils, the original plant extracts will continue to be used long into the future. This review highlights the importance of secondary metabolites and essential oils from principal members of this tribe, their global social, medicinal and economic relevance and potential. Key words: Apoptosis, artemisinin, chamomile, essential oil, feverfew, pyrethrin, tansy. THE ANTHEMIDAE Chrysanthemum (Compositae or Asteraceae family, Mottenohoka) containing antioxidant properties and are a subfamily Asteroideae, order Asterales, subclass popular food in Yamagata, Japan. Asteridae, tribe Anthemideae), sometimes collectively termed the Achillea-complex or the Chrysanthemum- complex (tribes Astereae-Anthemideae) consists of 12 subtribes, 108 genera and at least another 1741 species SECONDARY METABOLITES AND ESSENTIAL OILS (Khallouki et al., 2000).
    [Show full text]
  • Salvinorin a Analogues PR37 and PR38 Attenuate Compound 48
    British Journal of DOI:10.1111/bph.13212 www.brjpharmacol.org BJP Pharmacology RESEARCH PAPER Correspondence Jakub Fichna, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Salvinorin A analogues Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215 Lodz, Poland. E-mail: jakub.fi[email protected] PR-37 and PR-38 attenuate ---------------------------------------------------------------- Received 18 January 2015 compound 48/80-induced Revised 26 May 2015 Accepted itch responses in mice 1 June 2015 M Salaga1, P R Polepally2, M Zielinska1, M Marynowski1, A Fabisiak1, N Murawska1, K Sobczak1, M Sacharczuk3,JCDoRego4, B L Roth5, J K Zjawiony2 and J Fichna1 1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland, 2Department of BioMolecular Sciences, Division of Pharmacognosy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA, 3Department of Molecular Cytogenetic, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, Poland, 4Platform of Behavioural Analysis (SCAC), Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedicine (IRIB), Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, University of Rouen, Rouen Cedex, France, and 5Department of Pharmacology, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Medical School, NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The opioid system plays a crucial role in several physiological processes in the CNS and in the periphery. It has also been shown that selective opioid receptor agonists exert potent inhibitory action on pruritus and pain. In this study we examined whether two analogues of Salvinorin A, PR-37 and PR-38, exhibit antipruritic properties in mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH To examine the antiscratch effect of PR-37 and PR-38 we used a mouse model of compound 48/80-induced pruritus.
    [Show full text]
  • Role of Nitric Oxide in the Antipruritic Effect of WIN 55212-2, A
    Basic and Clinical July, August 2020, Volume 11, Number 4 Research Paper: Role of Nitric Oxide in the Antipruritic Effect of WIN 55,212-2, a Cannabinoid Agonist Oyku Zeynep Gercek1 , Busra Oflaz1 , Neslihan Oguz1 , Koray Demirci1 , Ozgur Gunduz1 , Ahmet Ulugol1* 1. Department of Medical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Turkey. Use your device to scan and read the article online Citation: Zeynep Gercek, O., Oflaz, B., Oguz, N., Demirci, K., Gunduz, O., & Ulugol, A. (2020). Role of Nitric Oxide in the Antipruritic Effect of WIN 55,212-2, a Cannabinoid Agonist. Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, 11(4), 473-480. http://dx.doi. org/10.32598/bcn.9.10.465 : http://dx.doi.org/10.32598/bcn.9.10.465 A B S T R A C T Introduction: For centuries, cannabinoids are known to be effective in pain relief. Itch is an unpleasant sensation that provokes a desire to scratch. Since itch and pain are two sensations Article info: sharing a lot in common, we aimed to investigate whether the cannabinoid agonist WIN Received: 30 Mar 2018 55,212-2 reduces serotonin-induced scratching behavior and also observe whether modulation First Revision:25 Apr 2018 of Nitric Oxide (NO) production mediates the antipruritic effect of WIN 55,212-2. Accepted: 29 Apr 2019 Methods: Scratching behavior is induced by intradermal injection of serotonin (50 µg/50 Available Online: 01 Jul 2020 µL/mouse) to BALB/c mice. The cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 (1, 3, 10 mg/kg, IP) was given 30 min before serotonin injection. To observe the effect of NO modulation on the antipruritic effect of cannabinoids, the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME (3 mg/kg, IP), the neuronal NOS inhibitor 7-nitroindazole (3 mg/kg, IP), and the NO precursor L-arginine (100 mg/kg, IP) were administered together with WIN 55,212-2.
    [Show full text]
  • Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Drugs List
    STANDARD TREATMENT GUIDELINES AND ESSENTIAL DRUGS LIST FOR THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, TONGA- 2007. Standard Treatment Guidelines Tonga 2007 Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Drugs List: Ministry of Health. First Edition, 2007 Copyright © 2007, Ministry of Health, Tonga All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, scanned or transmitted in any form without the permission of the copyright owner. Ministry of Health PO Box 59 Nuku’alofa Tonga Phone: 676 23200 Fax: 676 24291 E-mail address: [email protected] Editors: Siale ‘Akau’ola & Siutaka Siua Cover design by: Owen Towle Formatted by: T. Nauna Paongo Printed by: Taulua Press STG 2 Ministry of Health Standard Treatment Guidelines Tonga 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. FOREWORD: 13 2. ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS: 14 3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 17 4. INTRODUCTION: 19 5. ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY (A&E): 21 5.1. General Approach to A&E 21 5.2. Cardiac Arrest 26 5.3. Other Life Threatening Emergencies 30 5.4. Infectious Diseases 52 5.5. Severe Hypertension 58 5.6. Abdominal Pain 59 5.7. Surgical Problems 60 5.8. Red Eye 66 5.9. Dog Bite 67 6. CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS. 68 6.1. Heart Failure 68 6.2. Myocardial Infarction 72 6.3. Cardiogenic Shock 77 6.4. Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) 79 6.5. Cardiac Arrythmias 80 6.6. Cardiac Arrest 87 6.7. Hypertension 89 6.8. Aortic Dissection 93 6.9. Bacterial Endocarditis 96 6.10. Infective Endocarditis Prophylaxis 97 7. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) CONDITIONS 104 7.1 Headache 104 STG 3 Ministry of Health Standard Treatment Guidelines Tonga 2007 7.2 Seizures 107 7.3 Meningitis 108 7.4 Stroke 108 7.5 Involuntary Movement Disorders 110 7.6 Epilepsy 111 8 COMMON EAR, NOSE AND THROAT PROBLEMS.
    [Show full text]
  • Drug-Induced Pruritus: a Review
    Acta Derm Venereol 2009; 89: 236–244 REVIEW ARTICLE Drug-induced Pruritus: A Review Adam REICH1, Sonja STÄNDER2 and Jacek C. SZepietowsKI1,3 1Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Wroclaw Medical University, 2Clinical Neurodermatology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Münster, Germany, and 3Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland Pruritus is an unpleasant sensation that leads to scrat- polate to drugs that are prescribed mainly in outpatient ching. In addition to several diseases, the administration clinics, as only inpatients were analysed. In another of drugs may induce pruritus. It is estimated that pru- study on skin reactions due to antibacterial agents used ritus accounts for approximately 5% of all skin adverse in 13,679 patients treated by general practitioners, reactions after drug intake. However, to date there has cutaneous adverse effects were reported in 135 (1%) been no systematic review of the natural course and pos- subjects, and general pruritus accounted for 13.3% of sible underlying mechanisms of drug-induced pruritus. these reactions (4). In a recent analysis of 200 patients For example, no clear distinction has been made between with drug reactions, 12.5% showed pruritus without acute or chronic (lasting more than 6 weeks) forms of skin lesions (5). However, only a few drugs have been pruritus. This review presents a systematic categoriza- analysed more carefully in relation to pruritus, mainly tion of the different forms of drug-induced pruritus, with antimalarials, opioids, and hydroxyethyl starch (see special emphasis on a therapeutic approach to this side- below). Furthermore, analysing the available data on effect.
    [Show full text]
  • Chronic Pruritus – Pathogenesis, Clinical Aspects and Treatment
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2010.03850.x JEADV INVITED ARTICLE Chronic pruritus – pathogenesis, clinical aspects and treatment M Metz,†* S Sta¨ nder‡ †Allergie-Centrum-Charite´ , Department of Dermatology, Venerology and Allergology, Charite´ – Universita¨ tsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany and ‡Competence Center for Pruritus, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Mu¨ nster, Mu¨ nster, Germany *Correspondence: M Metz. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Chronic pruritus is a major symptom in numerous dermatological and systemic diseases. Similar to chronic pain, chronic pruritus can have a dramatic impact on the quality of life and can worsen the general condition of the patient considerably. The pathogenesis of itch is diverse and involves a complex network of cutaneous and neuronal cells. In recent years, more and more itch-specific mediators and receptors, such as interleukin-31, gastrin-releasing peptide receptor or histamine H4 receptor have been identified and the concept of itch-specific neurons has been further characterized. Understanding of the basic principles is important for development of target-specific treatment of patients with chronic pruritus. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the pathophysiological principles of itch and provide an overview about current and future treatment options. Received: 26 May 2010; Accepted: 16 August 2010 Keywords atopic dermatitis, itch, mast cell, pruritus, urticaria Key points d Chronic pruritus is a common problem affecting a large proportion of the population. d The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying chronic pruritus are still insufficiently understood. d In the skin, diverse and complex interactions of keratinocytes, mast cells and sensory nerves largely determine the occurrence and the control of pruritus.
    [Show full text]
  • Collybolide Is a Novel Biased Agonist of Κ-Opioid Receptors with Potent Antipruritic Activity
    Collybolide is a novel biased agonist of κ-opioid receptors with potent antipruritic activity Achla Guptaa, Ivone Gomesa, Erin N. Bobecka, Amanda K. Fakiraa, Nicholas P. Massarob, Indrajeet Sharmab, Adrien Cavéc, Heidi E. Hammc, Joseph Parelloc,d,1, and Lakshmi A. Devia,1 aDepartment of Pharmacology & Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029; bDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019; cDepartment of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232; and dDepartment of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232 Edited by Solomon H. Snyder, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, and approved April 5, 2016 (received for review November 6, 2015) Among the opioid receptors, the κ-opioid receptor (κOR) has been that could provide novel treatment strategies for a variety of dis- gaining considerable attention as a potential therapeutic target orders where κOR involvement has been implicated (16, 17). for the treatment of complex CNS disorders including depression, Previously identified synthetic κOR ligands were mostly ni- visceral pain, and cocaine addiction. With an interest in discover- trogenous compounds with a tertiary amine group (16). However, ing novel ligands targeting κOR, we searched natural products for about a decade ago, Salvinorin A (Sal A), a nonnitrogenous unusual scaffolds and identified collybolide (Colly), a nonnitroge- diterpene extracted from the Mexican mint Salvia divinorum and nous sesquiterpene from the mushroom Collybia maculata. This characterized by the presence of a furyl-δ-lactone motif (Fig. 1), compound has a furyl-δ-lactone core similar to that of Salvinorin was identified as a potent and highly selective κOR agonist (18).
    [Show full text]