Pharmacotherapy
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Relative bioavailability of ondansetron 8-mg oral tablets versus two extemporaneous 16-mg suppositories: formulation and gender differences.
To compare the relative bioavailability of two 16-mg extemporaneously prepared suppository formulations with that of an 8-mg commercially available oral tablet. ⋯ With the exception of the 16-mg Polybase formulation in women, the two suppositories closely approximated the pharmacokinetics of the 8-mg oral tablet. These results suggest that gender may be a significant factor in ondansetron's disposition.
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To investigate patient recall of therapeutic paralysis (TP) in a surgical critical care unit. ⋯ Patient recollection from TP may be more common than appreciated and is generally unpleasant. Adequate dosing with benzodiazepines and narcotics is warranted to prevent recall and discomfort.
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Review
Therapeutic considerations in the management of agitated or delirious critically ill patients.
Agitation and delirium in the critical care unit are common problems that at times are difficult to treat. The difficulty stems from few placebo-controlled or even blinded trials evaluating various therapies. ⋯ Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic techniques may achieve the therapeutic objective for these patients. Since no one drug will achieve the goals in every patient, therapy must be tailored to the characteristics and needs of each individual.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of 6-hour infusion versus bolus furosemide in premature infants.
To compare the renal, hemodynamic, and pulmonary effects of a 6-hour infusion of furosemide versus conventional bolus administration in premature infants. ⋯ Our data suggest that a 6-hour infusion of furosemide does not offer substantial clinical advantage over conventional bolus administration in premature infants when focusing on urine output, blood pressure, FENa, or pulmonary effect.
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The introduction of antipsychotics for the management of schizophrenia greatly improved the quality of life of many patients suffering from this debilitating disease. Although typical antipsychotic drugs represent a significant advancement in psychopharmacology, they carry a heavy side effect burden, have little efficacy in the management of negative symptoms, and are ineffective in about one-third of patients with schizophrenia. ⋯ They differ from typical antipsychotics in their mechanism of action, side effect profiles, and clinical efficacy. Sertindole is a new atypical antipsychotic.