Pharmacotherapy
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The bispectral index (BIS), a processed variable derived from the raw electroencephalogram (EEG) used to guide sedation in the intensive care unit (ICU), has not been tested during barbiturate therapy for elevated intracranial pressure. We determined the BIS and suppression ratio (SR) values during traditional burst monitoring of the raw EEG during pentobarbital infusions. ⋯ The Aspect A-1050 applied to patients and monitored by nurses and physicians works well as a bedside EEG monitor, providing a raw EEG signal to titrate barbiturate therapy. The continuous data trend and real-time digital output for the BIS and SR quantify the degree of EEG suppression well and may prove helpful in facilitating titration of barbiturate infusions.
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Case Reports
Superwarfarin and glass ingestion with prolonged coagulopathy requiring high-dose vitamin K1 therapy.
A 23-year-old man was brought to the emergency department after eating four boxes of brodifacoum-containing rodenticide over a 4-day interval and pieces from approximately two bottles of glass over the previous 2 weeks. He was asymptomatic but his prothrombin time was markedly elevated with an international normalized ratio (INR) of 37.8. A plain abdominal film showed diffuse radiopaque foreign bodies, presumably glass, in the large and distal small intestines. ⋯ At 5-month follow he was doing well. Compliance with large daily doses of vitamin K1 for treatment of "superwarfarin" ingestion may be poor because of the duration of treatment and large number of pills required. A more concentrated formulation may be advantageous for management of patients with brodifacoum poisoning.
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To determine the linezolid clearance and serum concentrations in a critically ill man receiving continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). ⋯ Administration of intravenous linezolid 600 mg every 12 hours maintained therapeutic serum trough concentrations in this critically ill patient receiving CVVHDF.
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The currently recommended dosing scheme for treating acetaminophen overdose in the United States consists of a loading dose of oral N-acetylcysteine 140 mg/kg, followed by 70 mg/kg every 4 hours for 17 doses, for a total of 72 hours of oral N-acetylcysteine therapy. This protocol has been both effective and safe. We critically evaluated the evidence that supports reducing the course of N-acetylcysteine therapy from 72 hours to 24 or 36 hours. ⋯ In addition, shorter courses of N-acetylcysteine therapy have positive financial ramifications by reducing the hospital stay by 1 or 2 days. Clearly, a shorter treatment regimen would not be appropriate for all patients, particularly those who seek treatment late (> 24 hrs after ingestion) and those with evidence of organ toxicity. In order to provide the necessary evidence to support a change in accepted clinical practice, further investigation on the safety and efficacy of a shorter N-acetylcysteine regimen should be conducted by clinical researchers in a controlled manner.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Pharmacokinetics of meropenem 0.5 and 2 g every 8 hours as a 3-hour infusion.
To assess the pharmacokinetics of meropenem administered as a 3-hour infusion. ⋯ Prolonging the percentage of time above the minimum inhibitory concentration is a feasible option with meropenem; however, further studies are needed to quantify how this increase translates to efficacy.