Homepage Round-Up: FDA Approves New Migraine Therapy, E-Cigs Linked to Respiratory Disease; and More

Here are the top stories covered by DocWire News this week in the Homepage section. In this week’s edition of the round-up: the FDA approves a new migraine drug; e-cig use is linked to respiratory disease; gender-tailored methods could mitigate the effects of opioid abuse; and cell phone use may be connected to medical errors.

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Ubrelvry (ubrogepant) tablets for the immediate treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. According to the FDA, this marks the first drug in the class of oral calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists approved for the acute treatment of migraine. “Migraine is an often disabling condition that affects an estimated 37 million people in the U.S.,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in a press release. “Ubrelvy represents an important new option for the acute treatment of migraine in adults, as it is the first drug in its class approved for this indication. The FDA is pleased to approve a novel treatment for patients suffering from migraine and will continue to work with stakeholders to promote the development of new safe and effective migraine therapies.”

Electronic cigarette (e-cig) use is associated with an increased risk of respiratory disease, according to a study which appeared in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The authors wrote that: “Although switching from combustible tobacco, including cigarettes, to e-cigarettes theoretically could reduce the risk of developing respiratory disease, current evidence indicates a high prevalence of dual use, which is associated with increased risk beyond combustible tobacco use. In addition, for most smokers, using an e-cigarette is associated with lower odds of successfully quitting smoking. cigarettes should not be recommended.”

Gender-tailored methods that address the adverse childhood experiences (ACE) could mitigate the effects of opioid use disorder, according to the findings of a study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. In this study, researchers assessed 2012–13 nationally-representative data from 388 women and 390 men with opioid use disorder. The results of the study showed that women with opioid use disorder were more likely than men to have comorbid mood or anxiety disorders, and less likely to have conduct disorders.

Nurses in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) are susceptible to making medical errors when interrupted by incoming cell phone calls, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. The researchers wrote of this study that: “This study’s findings suggest that, although communication-related interruptions cannot be eliminated, interventions to reduce the frequency and adverse consequences of interruptions should include consideration of time of day, nurse experience, nurse to patient ratio, and level of patient care required.”