Medical Bulletin 17/December/2021

Here are Top Medical stories of the day

 Dupilumab new treatment option for moderate-to-severe asthma in kids  

A new medication has been added to the treatment options for children with moderate-to-severe asthma. In a late-stage clinical trial, the biologic agent dupilumab reduced the rate of severe asthma attacks and improved lung function and asthma control for children ages 6 to 11.

The findings of the international multicenter Liberty Asthma VOYAGE trial, reported Dec. 9 in the New England Journal of Medicine, supported approval of dupilumab for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in this age group by the Food and Drug Administration in October.

For more information check out the link below:

Dupilumab New Treatment Option For Moderate-To-Severe Asthma In Kids: NEJM

Metformin improves outcomes in patients with Heart Failure and diabetes

A recent study involving older U.S. adults hospitalized for heart failure (HF) with comorbid diabetes found metformin initiation to be independently associated with substantial improvements in 12-month clinical outcomes. This was driven by findings among patients with an ejection fraction (EF) >40%. Conversely, regardless of EF, sulfonylurea initiation was related to excess risk of death and HF hospitalization.

According to the study, starting metformin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes shortly after they were hospitalized for heart failure was linked with a reduced rate of repeat hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) during the subsequent year when their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was greater than 40%.

For more information check out the link below:

Metformin Improves Outcomes In Patients With HF And Diabetes, Finds Study

Vaccines and previous infection could offer "stronger than basic" protection to Omicron

One of the earliest, peer-reviewed studies looking into the Omicron variant of COVID-19 suggests that people previously infected with COVID, and those vaccinated, will have some, "stronger than basic" defence against this new strain of concern.

However, the test tube (or 'in-vitro', scientifically) samples of Omicron examined in this new research do show it "exceeds" all other variants in its potential capability to evade the protection gained from previous infection or vaccination.

For more information check out the link below:

Vaccines And Previous Infection Could Offer "Stronger Than Basic" Protection To Omicron, Early Study Suggests

Ketamine shows speedy improvement in suicidal ideations

Depression is the most common underling cause in suicidal patients. None of the currently available antidepressants are capable of inducing immediate antisuicidal effect, leaving a considerable number of patients struggling with suicidal thoughts. A recent study published in Indian Journal of Psychiatry by Pathak et al has shown that ketamine can fulfil this efficacy gap created by the delayed anti-suicidal onset by virtue of its rapid onset of action.

Exploration of rapid antisuicidal efficacy of ketamine in Indian subpopulation can be a good preventive pharmacological option for unprecedented rise in suicides in India. Currently, very few treatment modalities are available to be effective for curbing suicidal thoughts. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still considered an acute indication to abort the suicidal thoughts due to its rapid response, but it is a partly invasive procedure and besides procedural and anesthesia-related complications, poses consent-related issues.

For more information check out the link below:

Ketamine Shows Speedy Improvement In Suicidal Ideations, IJP Study.

Simple diagnostic model may accurately predict pneumonia risk in kids without an X ray

Diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia in children usually involves x-rays, despite recommendations to limit their use by professional societies. In efforts to reduce radiation exposure from x-rays in children and reinforce guideline compliance, researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and colleagues developed a simple diagnostic model that accurately predicts whether patients are at high risk or low risk for community acquired pneumonia, eliminating the need for x-ray confirmation. Their findings were published in the journal Pediatrics.

"Our predictive model for community acquired pneumonia is a critical step toward safely reducing radiation exposure in children," said lead author Sriram Ramgopal, MD, emergency medicine physician at Lurie Children's and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "For patients who are determined to be at low risk for pneumonia, we can also avoid unnecessary antibiotic use."

For more information check out the link below:

Simple Diagnostic Model May Accurately Predict Pneumonia Risk In Kids Without An X Ray