Fluoroquinolones Concerns: Study Cites Dysglycemia, FDA Intensifies Neuropathy Warning

Fluoroquinolones may not be the best antibiotic choice in some patients because of increased risks of hypo- and hyperglycemia, according to the authors of a new study out of Taiwan. That report, published almost simultaneously with a heightened FDA warning about the potential for peripheral neuropathy in patients using fluoroquinolones, underscores growing concerns about the antibiotic class. Here are the details. 

Uninformed Neurologists Could Mean Inappropriate Prescribing of Antiepilepsy Drug

Some of the drugs pharmacists dispense to patients with epilepsy could be unnecessarily risky. About 20% of neurologists surveyed by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine were completely unaware of some important drug safety concerns about antiepilepsy medications. A journal article discusses the drugs involved and how FDA information could be better presented to prescribers.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All Ages in ACS Therapy, Duke Researchers Say

Effective treatment for acute coronary syndrome might reduce adverse outcomes but also can increase the risk of intracranial and fatal bleeding in patients older than 75. A new report, involving a substudy of the TRILOGY-ACS trial, looked at the value of a reduced maintenance dose of 5 mg/day of prasugrel in those patients. Here’s what the researchers found.

Prenatal, Postnatal Probiotics Don’t Protect Against Asthma, Wheezing

With conflicting earlier research on how probiotics affect the risk of atopy and asthma in children, University of Miami-led researchers performed a meta-analysis in an effort to develop more conclusive results. While the overview found evidence that probiotics have some benefits, protection against asthma and wheezing was not among them. Find out more about the study and the effects of probiotics.