Objective: Rare disease Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of antihyperglycemic medications associated with an increased risk of urinary and genital infections due to their glycosuric effects. In 2018, the FDA issued a safety alert warning that multiple cases of Fournier's Gangrene (FG), a severe genital infection, had been reported in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. Case Report: We present a case of 72-year-old male with type II diabetes mellitus who developed FG while taking the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin. Besides diabetes and canagliflozin use, his other risk factors were his age, gender, and remote history of radiotherapy for prostate cancer. He presented to the Emergency Department (ED) multiple times complaining of rectal pain and was admitted for a possible diagnosis of prostatitis. During his stay, he developed leukocytosis, his pain worsened, and examination of the perianal area was consistent with FG. He was treated with multiple surgical debridement procedures and broad-spectrum antibiotics; the source of infection was determined to be a perianal abscess. He stayed in the hospital for 1 month and was discharged home with outpatient wound care and vacuum dressing changes. Canagliflozin was discontinued during the hospital stay. Conclusions: Due to the possible association of FG with SGLT2 inhibitors, patients who present with signs and symptoms consistent with FG should be examined for possible FG and treated promptly.
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, which are used for treatment of type 2 diabetes, are associated with risk of urogenital infections. FDA issued a black box warning about multiple case reports of Fournier’s gangrene (FG) observed in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors. FG is a type of necrotising fasciitis that occurs in the anogenital area. We report a case of a 71-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes on dapagliflozin, presenting with foul-smelling discharge and a large abscess in the perianal area. Her risk factors for FG included her advanced age, obesity, diabetes and trauma to the site. During her stay, dapagliflozin was discontinued and she received procedural debridement, wound care and broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. Due to possible association between FG and SGLT2 inhibitors, patients presenting with signs and symptoms of FG who are taking SGLT2 inhibitors should be examined for infection in the urogenital area and treated promptly.
Introduction: Medication discrepancies on hospital discharge are common and occur despite the use of technology to generate electronically created discharge (e-discharge) prescriptions, justifying pharmacist involvement. No published studies have focused on medication discrepancies as a risk factor for readmission. The aim was to explore the relationship between medication discrepancies on discharge and readmission rates, and how both are affected by pharmacist intervention. Objectives: The primary objective was to establish the relationship between medication discrepancies on the e-discharge prescription and hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge. Secondary objectives were to determine the 30-day readmission rate with and without pharmacist involvement, and risk factors for 30-day readmission. Methods: This was a matched case-control study where cases and controls consisted of patients readmitted and not readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge from the general medicine service, respectively. Case patients were defined as patients who had been readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge from the general medicine unit. Control patients were defined as patients who had not been readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Chi-square statistics was used to analyze the association between the presence of medication discrepancy at discharge and 30-day readmission. Multivariate logistic regression was used to further analyze the associations to determine which risk factors best relate to 30-day readmission. Results: Between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017, a total of 401 e-discharge prescriptions were reviewed, and 194 cases were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Similar proportions of patients were readmitted compared with not readmitted regardless of whether discrepancies were identified on the e-discharge prescriptions, and there was no relationship identified between medication discrepancies and readmission within 30 days (odds ratio [OR] = 1.04; P = .854). The readmission rate with and without pharmacist involvement was similar between the case group (50%) and control group (48.0%). The proportion of discharge prescriptions with discrepancies was 48.8% in the group that had pharmacist involvement and 47.0% in the group that had no pharmacist involvement. Additionally, a LACE score of 12 or greater was identified as a statistically significant risk factor for readmission (OR = 2.13; P < .001). Conclusions: Pharmacist review of the e-discharge prescription did not affect the readmission rate. A LACE score of 12 or greater was associated with a higher risk of readmission. Future studies are needed to identify patient groups at high risk of readmission and to determine pharmacist interventions that could reduce readmission rates.
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