Gastrointestinal Bleeding News and Research

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Gastrointestinal bleeding or gastrointestinal hemorrhage describes every form of hemorrhage (loss of blood) in the gastrointestinal tract, from the pharynx to the rectum.

Aspirin for coronary heart prevention is less costly, more effective

Using aspirin for coronary heart prevention is less costly and more effective than doing nothing in men older than 45 with more than 10 percent 10-year-risk of the disease, according to a study by researchers at RTI International, University of Michigan, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

23 Feb 2011

Study finds GI bleeding rare outside of ICU, regardless of whether or not patients receive medication

Over the last several decades, the prophylactic use of acid-suppressive medications to help prevent gastrointestinal bleeding in hospitalized patients has increased significantly, with some studies estimating that as many as 40 to 70 percent of all medical inpatients are given these drugs at some point during their hospitalization.

15 Feb 2011

Tarceva Phase III EURTAC study in NSCLC patients with EGFR activating mutations meets primary endpoint

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group and OSI Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astellas U.S. Holding Inc., a holding company owned by Astellas Pharma Inc., today announced that an independent data monitoring committee has recommended that the Phase III EURTAC study be stopped early because the study met its primary endpoint.

28 Jan 2011

BELLUS Health, Celtic Therapeutics initiate KIACTA global confirmatory phase III clinical study for AA amyloidosis

BELLUS Health Inc. and Celtic Therapeutics announced today that a global confirmatory phase III clinical study was initiated on December 14, 2010 for KIACTA™ (eprodisate). KIACTA™ is a drug candidate being developed for the treatment of AA amyloidosis, a life-threatening orphan disease that occurs in patients with long-lasting inflammatory conditions, most commonly due to rheumatoid arthritis. The study is designed to confirm the safety and efficacy of KIACTA™ in preventing renal function decline in patients with AA amyloidosis.

16 Dec 2010

Health care systems inadequate for managing acute GI hemorrhage outside of normal hours

Patients treated by Welsh hospitals for upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding were 41% more likely to die if they were admitted on a public holiday and 13% more likely if it was at the weekend, according to research in the January issue of Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

9 Dec 2010

Low-dose aspirin enhances fecal occult blood test performance for detecting colorectal cancer

Use of low-dose aspirin prior to a newer type of fecal occult blood test is associated with a higher sensitivity for detecting advanced colorectal tumors, compared to no aspirin use, according to a study in the December 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Dec 2010

Research roundup: Doctors' industry ties; Patient safety and residents' hours; Designing a medical home

Archives of Internal Medicine: Physician Professionalism And Changes in Physician-Industry Relationships From 2004 to 2009 -"During the last 6 years a number of efforts have aimed to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, certain types of physician-industry relationships (PIRs)," including policies "that forbid physicians from accepting samples and receiving food and beverages in offices, limiting company representatives' access to physicians' offices and clinical areas, and banning faculty participation in speaker bureaus and other forms of promotional activity," write the authors.

12 Nov 2010

SPRYCEL receives FDA approval for treating adult patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase

After receiving a priority review, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved SPRYCEL (dasatinib) 100 mg once daily for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase.

29 Oct 2010

Health Canada approves PRADAX anticoagulant for stroke prevention in AF patients

Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd. today announces that Health Canada has granted approval of PRADAX (dabigatran etexilate), an oral anticoagulant for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adults with atrial fibrillation in whom anticoagulation is appropriate. PRADAX is the first innovative drug approved in Canada in more than two decades to reduce the risk of stroke in Canadians with atrial fibrillation.

28 Oct 2010

VAP bundle helps eliminate hospital-acquired infection

Critically ill patients on a breathing tube are at risk not only from their injuries or diseases, but also from infections they can contract in the hospital. One of the most common infections is pneumonia from breathing tubes. A study of a new multidisciplinary protocol that has all but eliminated such infections at one hospital was reported on today at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

7 Oct 2010

Hyponatremia may lead to neurological complications

A new study published in the October issue of the journal Hepatology found that patients with severe portal-hypertensive bleeding who are treated with terlipressin may experience an acute reduction of sodium in their blood. This reduction in serum sodium, known as hyponatremia, can cause adverse reactions such as neurological complications, and is rapidly reversible upon terlipressin withdrawal.

23 Sep 2010

Using clopidogrel, PPIs increases cardiac damage risk: Study

Patients with coronary artery disease undergoing stent implantation are often prescribed the antiplatelet drug, clopidogrel. This drug prevents blood clots, but is known to have a side-effect that can cause stomach bleeding. Consequently, many users are also prescribed a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Now, however, a meta-analysis of almost 160,000 patients carried out at the Medical University of Vienna and Wilhelminenhospital, Vienna, has shown that simultaneous use of these drugs can increase the risk of cardiac damage.

31 Aug 2010

Efficacy data of Caldolor Injection in treating fever associated with falciparum malaria published

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that data supporting the efficacy of Caldolor in treating fever associated with falciparum malaria was published in the July edition of the peer-reviewed American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The study, which is the first to document an antipyretic effect of an injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on fever caused by malaria, demonstrated that patients who received intravenous ibuprofen experienced a greater reduction in their temperatures than those who received placebo.

13 Jul 2010

FDA accepts to review sNDA for SPRYCEL for treating adult patients with CML

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing and review the supplemental New Drug Application for SPRYCEL (dasatinib) for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase.

12 Jul 2010

AUGIB patients more likely to suffer further bleeding with early red blood cell transfusion

Doctors have called for an urgent review of transfusion policies after a UK-wide study of over 200 hospitals found that patients admitted with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) are more than twice as likely to suffer further bleeding if they receive a red blood cell transfusion within 12 hours.

7 Jul 2010

Judge rules for Merck in state Vioxx lawsuit over Medicaid payments

A federal judge ruled in favor of Merck & Co. Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by Louisiana trying to recoup what it paid when Medicaid patients used the company's withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, The Associated Press reports. James R. Dugan II, "the lead attorney representing Louisiana, said his team would be meeting with state officials later this week to discuss appellate possibilities.

1 Jul 2010

Effectiveness of combination band ligation and nadolol for first variceal bleeding not established

A controlled trial conducted by researchers at the E-DA Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, suggests that a combination of band ligation and nadolol may not be the most effective prophylaxis for first variceal bleeding resulting from cirrhosis. Results of this study appear in the July issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).

10 Jun 2010

Four-year follow-up results from SPRYCEL Phase 3 study in CML-CP presented at ASCO

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. today announced four-year follow-up results from a Phase 3 randomized, open-label, dose-optimization study of SPRYCEL® (dasatinib) in chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) patients resistant or intolerant to Gleevec®* (imatinib mesylate). At four years, for all patients administered SPRYCEL 100 mg once daily, overall survival was 82% (95% CI: 76%-88%) and progression-free survival was 66% (95% CI: 57%-74%).

9 Jun 2010

Drug and dosage influence risk of GI bleeding

A study conducted at the Spanish Centre for Pharmacoepidemiological Research revealed that the risk of gastrointestinal complications due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use varies by specific NSAID administered and by dosage. The study further determined that NSAIDs with a long half-life or slow-release formulation are associated with a greater risk of GI bleeding or perforation.

27 May 2010

Routine cessation of clopidogrel in patients before colonoscopy polypectomy not necessary: Researchers

Researchers at the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York examined postpolypectomy bleeding in patients undergoing colonoscopy on uninterrupted clopidogrel and found that the postpolypectomy bleeding rate is significantly higher in patients undergoing polypectomy while taking clopidogrel and concomitant aspirin/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but that the risk is small and the outcome is favorable.

21 May 2010