Pharmacotherapy
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To determine dosing options for decreasing the time to achieve a therapeutic international normalized ratio (INR) threshold of 2.0 when restarting warfarin in an ambulatory population whose previous warfarin maintenance doses are known, and to identify thromboembolic and major bleeding events up to 90 days after disruption of warfarin therapy. ⋯ In select patients, the option of administering a warfarin loading dose of approximately 40% greater than the previous daily maintenance dose for 2 or 3 days shortens the time to achieving therapeutic anticoagulation.
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To contrast the characteristics of two groups of men who participated in strength-training exercise-those who reported anabolicandrogenic steroid (AAS) use versus those who reported no AAS use. ⋯ Most of the AAS users in this study were recreational exercisers who practiced polypharmacy. The AAS users were more likely than nonusers to meet criteria for substance dependence disorder, report a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, report recent cocaine use, and have a history of sexual abuse. The information uncovered in this study may help clinicians and researchers develop appropriate intervention strategies for AAS abuse.
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To determine the impact of having an antimicrobial allergy label in the medical record on clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients. ⋯ Presence of an allergy label in the medical record was associated with increased length of hospital stay and worse clinical outcomes compared with no allergy label in hospitalized patients treated with antimicrobials.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A reliable and safe method of collecting blood samples from implantable central venous catheters for determination of plasma gentamicin concentrations.
To evaluate the extent of agreement between plasma gentamicin concentrations determined from samples collected by using implantable subcutaneous central venous catheters (ports) with the push-pull method and those collected by finger lancet punctures in children with febrile neutropenia. ⋯ The push-pull method of blood sampling is a reliable and safe option for determining plasma gentamicin concentrations in children with ports.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
The Retrospective Cohort of Extended-Infusion Piperacillin-Tazobactam (RECEIPT) study: a multicenter study.
To compare the effectiveness of extended-infusion piperacillin-tazobactam with that of similar-spectrum, nonextended-infusion [H9252]-lactam antibiotics in the treatment of gram-negative infections. ⋯ Pharmacodynamic dosing using extended-infusion piperacillintazobactam demonstrated favorable outcomes, including mortality, when compared with nonextended-infusion, similar-spectrum [H9252]-lactams in the treatment of patients with documented gram-negative infections. Prospective, randomized trials are needed to further corroborate these findings.