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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Hydroxyethyl Starch

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow


J. P. Nolan, M. G. Mythen
Disclosures
Br J Anaesth. 2013;111(3):321-324. 

After a review of the available evidence, on June 14, 2013, the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded that the benefits of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solutions no longer outweighed their risks and recommended that the marketing authorizations for these medicines be withdrawn.[1] The United Kingdom (UK) Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) concurred and on June 27, 2013, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced the withdrawal of HES products from the UK, giving just 48 h to return all unexpired stock.[2] In contrast, on June 24, 2013, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that HES products not be used in critically ill patients or in those with pre-existing renal dysfunction but did not withdraw them completely.[3]


read more here: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/810039