New drugs, old drugs and the obstetric anaesthetist

Drugs old and new.

Antiepileptic drugs: the old and the new.

During the past decade several new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have become available, including new formulations of some of the older medications. Understanding the pharmacokinetics of the new AEDs is important because they are primarily used for adjunctive therapy and interactions with other medications can result in significant toxicities. The new-generation AEDs do not cause serious morbidity...

New Ideas About Old Drugs

The nitrovasodilators are a diverse group of pharmacological agents that produce vascular relaxation by releasing nitric oxide. The mechanisms by which these compounds release nitric oxide vary, depending on their chemical structure. Compounds with lower oxidation states of nitrogen such as nitroprusside, nitrosamines, and nitrosothiols release nitric oxide nonenzymatically. In the case of nitr...

Old drugs - old people - new insights.

Dr. Dan Sitar was the recipient of the 2004 CSCP Senior Investigator Award at the First Canadian Therapeutics Congress held in June 2004. He presented a lecture highlighting some of the studies he participated in that have contributed to an increased understanding of the role of aging on drug disposition and effect.

Magnesium and the obstetric anaesthetist.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant cations in the human body. It is utilised extensively within the medical world and its role in the treatment of various conditions in both mother and fetus is increasing. This review focuses on the importance of magnesium for the obstetric anaesthetist and looks at the most recent evidence surrounding its use in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, neuropro...