Highlights
Treatment News:
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved sildenafil citrate (the active ingredient in Viagra) to treat pulmonary hypertension, a serious complication of chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD).
- A new study found that salmeterol/fluticasone combination (marketed in the U.S. as Advair) significantly cuts inflammation (swelling) of the bronchi in smokers and ex-smokers with COLD.
- A new study looked at physical activity levels of patients recovering from an acute exacerbation (crisis) of COLD. The study found that such patients have very low levels of physical activity while in the hospital and after being discharged. The researchers recommend adding appropriate amounts of exercise to the treatment of such patients.
Complications:
- A new study found that 25% (one quarter) of COLD patients who have an acute exacerbation with no known cause actually suffer from pulmonary embolism (a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the lung).
Policy:
- Starting in 2005, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is assigning lungs for transplants based on an allocation score, rather than on time spent on the waiting list.
- Medication Alerts: In January 2006, the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory for health care providers and patients using telithromycin (Ketek). Patients treated with Ketek should stop using this antibiotic if jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) develops. The FDA issued this advisory after reports that three patients treated with Ketek had severe liver injury. One patient died, while another needed a liver transplant. In June 2006, the FDA reported that four people had died after taking the drug. The FDA ordered the manufacturer to add a warning to the drug's label about potential liver problems. In December 2006, the FDA recommended that Ketek should not be used in patients with sinusitis or bronchitis. Ketek, the first in a new class of antibiotics, is used to treat respiratory infections in adults.
- In February 2006, Bristol-Myers Squibb notified the FDA it is changing its prescription information for gatifloxacin (Tequin). Because of reports of serious changes in blood sugar levels in vulnerable people, the company says diabetics should not use this antibiotic.
