Background Ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy (IIE) is a rare and serious adverse reaction. Thus far, no standard medication has been documentedto be efficient in the reversal of IIE, and while ifosfamide infusion interruption and hydration are recommended, methylene blue (MB) administration remains controversial. Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records to assess cases with IIE after ifosfamide infusion. We included all patients having received an ifosfamide infusion during their hospitalization in the medical oncology unit of the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat, Morocco, between September 2016 and September 2017. We subsequently conducted a literature review to determine the role of MB in IIE by searching PubMed using the terms “Methylene Blue” and “Ifosfamide”. Results A total of 88 patients received ifosfamide, and four patients had IIE. Ifosfamide infusion was stopped immediately after the IIE occurrence, and patients underwent renal function correction with hydration. All patients received MB infusion, and three patients had an improvement of their neurological status. As regards the literature review, 34 articles were reviewed and 16 items were included in the review. Overall, 38 (65.5%) patients received MB infusion and 28 (75.6%) patients responded favorably to the treatment. Conclusions Methylene blue can be used as a treatment for IIE owing to the severity of the IIE as well as absence of standard medication. Nonetheless, side effects such as serotonergic syndrome should be investigated. More broadly, prospective studies and controlled trials are needed to explore the contribution of MB in IIE management and encourage its use.
Background: Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) gene are commonly observed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in adenocarcinoma histology. The frequency of EGFR mutations is ethnicity-dependent, with a higher proportion reported in Asian populations than Caucasian populations. There is a lack of data on these mutations in north Africa. Methods: Tumor specimens from Moroccan patients with NSCLC were collected from five pathology laboratories between November 2010 and December 2017 to determine frequency and types of EGFR mutations. Tumors were tested in a reference center for EGFR by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of exons 18, 19, 20, and 21. Results: A total of 334 patients were enrolled: 242 (72.5%) males and 92 females (27.5%). A total of 56.9% had a history of smoking. EGFR testing of the 334 lung adenocarcinoma samples demonstrated a wild-type EGFR in 261 (78.1%) and mutated EGFR in 73 (21.9%). Mutations were mainly detected in the exon 19 deletion (65.8%), followed by exon 21 L858 (17.8%) and other exon 21 codon mutations (5.5%) and exon 18 (6.8%), whereas primary mutations of exon 20 were less frequent (4.1%). In patients with advanced NSCLC, the detection of EGFR mutation was independently associated with sex (41.3% female vs 14.5% male; p < 0.001) and smoking status (34.8% nonsmokers vs 12.9% active smokers; p < 0.001). The mean age was significantly different between the two groups ( p = 0.041). Conclusion: Our findings confirm the genetic heterogeneity of NSCLC worldwide, reporting frequency of EGFR mutations in Moroccan patients with NSCLC between those of Asian and Caucasian populations.
IntroductionDrug-drug interactions (DDIs) are defined as two or more drugs interacting in such a manner that the effectiveness or toxicity of one or more drugs is altered. Patients with cardiovascular disorders are at higher risk for DDIs because of the types and number of drugs they receive. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of DDIs in patients admitted to the cardiology department of a hospital in Morocco.MethodsA prospective observational study from June 2016 to September 2016 was carried out in the cardiology department of a hospital in Morocco. Those patients who were taking at least two drugs and had a hospital stay of at least 48 hours were included in the study. The medications of the patients were analysed for possible interactions. All the prescriptions of the study population were screened for drug-drug interactions using a computerized DDI database system (Theriaque®).ResultsDuring the study period, 138 patients were included; 360 interactions were detected among 94 patients, with an average number of drugs taken of 5.2. The prevalence of DDIs was estimated at 68.11%, the most common of which concerned Kardegic/Plavix (12.22%), Kardegic/Heparin (8.33%), and Lasilix/Spironolactone (5.83%). Among the 726 prescribed drugs, (372 [51.24%]) were drugs of the cardiovascular system, followed by blood and hematopoietic organ drugs (288 [39.67%]) according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification codes. These interactions were categorized on the basis of level of severity: interactions with major severity accounted for 11.11% (40) of the total DDIs while those with moderate and minor severity accounted for 37.22% (134) and 51.66% (186), respectively.ConclusionThis study reports the prevalence of DDIs in patients admitted to the cardiology department of a hospital in Morocco. This study shows that DDIs are frequent among hospitalized cardiac patients and highlights the need to screen prescriptions of cardiovascular patients for possible DDIs, as this helps in their detection and prevention.Pan African Medical Journal – ISSN: 1937- 8688 (www.panafrican-med-journal.com)Published in partnership with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET). (www.afenet.net)Pan African Medical Journal – ISSN: 1937- 8688 (www.panafrican-med-journal.com)Published in partnership with the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET). (www.afenet.net)
Background Clinical pharmacists are contributing to safe medication use by providing comprehensive management to patients and medical staff. The aim of this study is to document and evaluate the role of clinical pharmacy services in oncology department. Patients and methods A prospective, descriptive, observational study was carried out from July 2018 through June 2019 at the Department of Medical Oncology at the National Institute of Oncology, Morocco. Medication reviews concerning hospitalized adult cancer patients were performed every day by the clinical pharmacist assigned to the department. Results A total of 3542 prescriptions of 526 adult cancer patients were analyzed. The pharmacist identified 450 drug-related problems (12.7% of the prescriptions) primarily related to the analgesics (31.5%). Medication problems included mostly untreated indications (31.3%), overdosing (17.1%), drug–drug interactions (12.4%), underdosing (11.1%), administration omissions (6.7%), drug not indicated (6.0%), and contraindication (5.3%). Interventions ( n = 450) led to drug additions (30.7%), drug dosing adjustments (27.1%), treatment discontinuations (20.0%), recall of the treatment (6.2%), replacement of a drug with another one (5.1%), administration optimization (4.0%), therapeutic drug monitoring (3.1%), alternate routes of administration (2.5%), and extension of treatment duration (1.3%). Most (98%) of the interventions were accepted and implemented by the medical staff—172 (38.2%) having a significant clinical impact on the patient, 88 (19.6%) as having a very significant clinical impact, and 71(15.8%) as having a potential vital impact. Conclusion This work highlights the positive clinical relevance of pharmacists’ interventions in oncology and the importance of medicopharmaceutical collaboration to prevent medication error.
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