The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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Medication errors are common upon hospital admission. Clinical pharmacist involvement in medication reconciliation is effective in identifying and rectifying medication errors. However, data is lacking on the economic impact, time requirements, and severity of errors resolved by clinical pharmacists. ⋯ Clinical pharmacist involvement within a multidisciplinary health care team during the admission medication reconciliation process demonstrated a significant improvement in patient safety and an economic benefit.
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Varenicline (Champix, Chantix) has been available for use in smoking cessation since 2006. This drug has been associated with adverse cardiovascular events. ⋯ We report the case of a 30-year-old man with no known cardiac disease, who developed thrombotic occlusion of left anterior descending artery and presented with acute coronary syndrome secondary to treatment with varenicline. The Naranjo probability scale indicates that varenicline was the probable cause of the myocardial infarction.
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To describe the case of a patient successfully resuscitated with bolus alteplase for a presumed massive pulmonary embolism (PE) with associated cardiac arrest. ⋯ The choice of fibrinolytic therapy should be based on hospital availability, with prompt initiation of treatment and incorporation of an intravenous bolus. A reasonable treatment regimen is alteplase 0.6 mg/kg (maximum of 50 mg) or fixed dose of alteplase 50 mg given over 2 to 15 minutes. Resuscitation should be continued for at least 30 minutes, or until ROSC, after fibrinolytic initiation to allow time for the medication to work.