Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has recently issued a drug safety alert for doctors and patients about the use of the commonly used painkiller mefenamic acid, popularly sold under the brand name Meftal. The Pharma standard body in its preliminary analysis of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) from the PvPI database revealed that Meftal can lead to Drug Reactions with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Syndrome. According to Dr. Dr Tushar Tayal, Lead Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, this syndrome causes a diverse array of clinical symptoms, anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks after initiating the offending drug. “Antiepileptic medications, such as phenytoin and Phenobarbital, are thought to be the predominant cause of DRESS syndrome although NSAIDS have also been implicated. NSAID’s include painkiller such as Mefenamic acid, naproxen, Brufen etc.,” Dr. Tayal said.

Surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids in children with snoring and mild breathing problems during sleep appears to improve their sleep, quality of life, and blood pressure a year after surgery, a clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found. The study, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH, is believed to be the first large, randomized trial to address the effects of adenotonsillectomy on children with mild sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).

A study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that the response of immune system cells inside the protective covering surrounding the brain may contribute to the cognitive decline that can occur in a person with chronic high blood pressure. This finding, published in Nature Neuroscience, may shed light on new ways to counteract the effects of high blood pressure on cognition. The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of NIH.

AIIMS Delhi has detected Mycoplasma pneumoniae, the bacteria linked to the recent surge in cases of respiratory illness (pneumonia) among children in China, in seven samples between April and September this year, reports Durgesh Nandan Jha. According to a report published in ‘Lancet Microbe’, one case was detected through PCR test carried out at early stages of the infection and six cases detected through IgM Elisa test that can be carried even at later stages. The positivity rate of the PCR and IgM Elisa test was 3 percent and 16 percent respectively.

A study found that pathogens can use physical force to defeat a cell’s defence mechanisms. The study found that pathogens can avoid being ingested by immune cells by exerting a “propulsive force.” This force diverts the pathogens into vacuoles that can’t break them down.