Life-threatening side effect

Amiodarone may elicit life-threatening side effects in addition to presenting substantial management difh-culties associated with its use. The oral formulation of amiodarone is indicated only for the treatment of life-threatening recurrent ventricular arrhythmias (e.g., recurrent ventricular hbrillation and/or recurrent hemo-dynamicaUy unstable ventricular tachycardia) that have not responded to other potentially effective antiarrhythmic drugs or when alternative interventions could not be tolerated. Despite its efficacy as an antiarrhythmic agent, there is no evidence from clinical trials that the use of amiodarone favorably affects survival. 

Benzodiazepines are used as hypnotics because they have the ability to increase total sleep time. They demonstrate minimal cardiovascular effects, but do have the ability to increase heart rate and decrease cardiac output. Most CNS depressants, including the benzodiazepines, exhibit the ability to relax skeletal muscles. Clozapine, a dibenzodiazepine, is used in the treatment of schizophrenia. It has both sedative and antipsychotic actions, and is the only FDA-approved medication indicated for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and for reducing the risk of suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia. This drug can have potentially life-threatening side effects, but appears to have no abuse potential and will not be considered further. 

Have the frequency and severity of any side effects been adequately characterized, and the reversibility established of any severe or life-threatening side effects ... 

The identification of which patients are more prone to serious or life-threatening side effects from a particular drug so that the prescriber will avoid that drug in these vulnerable individuals. 

Caffeine is a widely used CNS stimulant. Theophylline hK some medical use as a CNS stimulant, but its CNS-iiimulant properties are encountered more often as somc-iimes severe, and potentially life-threatening, side effects of its Use in bronchial asthma therapy. Theobromine has very iitIcCNS activity (probably because of pour physicochemi-iil properties for di.stributiun to the CNS). 

Side-effect profiles of many antiobesity drugs have led to high attrition rates, lessening the overall appeal of pharmacotherapy as a treatment option. In general, anti-obesity drugs should have fairly mild and non-life-threatening side effects, because of the potential off-label use of such compounds for cosmetic purposes in relatively healthy individuals. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Use of codeine by some breastfeeding mothers may lead to life-threatening side effects in nursing babies. FDA Public Health Advisory 2007, Available at http //www.fda.gov/CDER/Drug/advisory/codeine.htm. Accessed October 10, 2008. 

Of course, if the substances work, do not have debilitating and life-threatening side effects, and can be mass-produced, who cares There is an argument also for using the pure chemical, in that some of the myriad biochemicals or phytochemicals in plants or herbs are additional sources of potentially adverse side effects.)... 

Even though these life-threatening side effects are well known, athletes continue to use anabolic steroids. The temptation must have been too great for Ben Johnson. After a period of suspension from amateur athletics, Johnson again entered competition. In March 1993, testing before a track meet revealed that he had used anabolic steroids to enhance his performance. As a result, he was forever banned from amateur competition. 

Lovenox is a low molecular weight heparin and is administered in the love handles or upper anterior lateral abdominal walls. Small bruises or hematomas in this area suggest a non-life-threatening side effect of this medication s administration. 

C. Life-threatening side effects are distinctly uncommon with no serious toxicity in human subjects after 4500 administrations of Ca-DTPA and 1000 administrations of Zn-DTPA. 

Traditional chemotherapeutic strategies, on the assumption that the majority of the cells within tumor are actively proliferating, have used a variety of drugs and hormonal agents that interfere with the basic cellular machinery (e.g., DNA synthesis and replication, cell cycle, and cytoskeleton) [57]. However, because cancer cells share many properties with their normal counterparts, the serious, sometimes life-threatening, side effects that arise from toxicities to sensitive normal cells limit the efficacy of cytotoxic chemotherapy [58]. Improved understanding of the molecular alterations present in the cancer cells has enabled the... 

Kelesidis T, Canseco E. Levofloxacin-induced h5q)oglycemia a rare but life-threatening side effect of a widely used antibiotic. Am J Med 2009 122(3) e3-4. 

Kanjanauthai S, Kanluen T, Chareonthaitawee P. Citalopram induced torsade de pointes, a rare life threatening side effect. Int J Cardiol 2008 131(1) e33. ... 

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