1. Does Progressive Introduction of Benznidazole Reduce the Chance of Adverse Events in the Treatment of Chagas Disease?
- Author
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Juan María Herrero-Martínez, Olaya Madrid Pascual, Irene Losada Galván, Ana Pérez-Ayala, and Manuel Lizasoain Hernández
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Adult ,Male ,Chagas disease ,Trypanosoma ,medicine.medical_specialty ,030231 tropical medicine ,Tripanosoma ,Body weight ,Drug Administration Schedule ,Cohort Studies ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Malaltia de Chagas ,Virology ,Internal medicine ,Humans ,Medicine ,Chagas Disease ,Adverse effect ,Retrospective Studies ,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ,business.industry ,Retrospective cohort study ,Articles ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Trypanocidal Agents ,Discontinuation ,Chagas' disease ,Infectious Diseases ,Nitroimidazoles ,Benznidazole ,Referral center ,Female ,Parasitology ,business ,Cohort study ,medicine.drug - Abstract
In this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to assess whether introducing benznidazole at escalating doses reduces the probability of adverse events or treatment discontinuation compared with a full-dose scheme. We collected data from patients who had chronic " - " infection and underwent treatment from July 2008 to January 2017 in a referral center in Madrid. Dose was adjusted to body weight (5 mg/kg/day), with treatment introduction with full dose or escalating dose according to local consensus and protocols. Among the 62 patients treated, benznidazole was introduced at full dose in 28 patients and on escalating dose in the remaining 34. We found no statistical differences in the number of adverse events, treatment discontinuations, days of treatment, or sociodemographic profiles. There is insufficient evidence to support escalating dose as a strategy for reducing the adverse effects of benznidazole. Further research is needed to evaluate this strategy.
- Published
- 2019
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