The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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Comparative Study
Google Scholar versus PubMed in locating primary literature to answer drug-related questions.
Google Scholar linked more visitors to biomedical journal Web sites than did PubMed after the database's initial release; however, its usefulness in locating primary literature articles is unknown. ⋯ No significant differences were identified in the number of target primary literature articles located between databases. PubMed searches yielded fewer total citations than Google Scholar results; however, PubMed appears to be more specific than Google Scholar for locating relevant primary literature articles.
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Terlipressin, a long-acting analog of vasopressin, has been used successfully in patients with extremely low cardiac output, but its application in children following open heart surgery is limited. ⋯ Terlipressin caused significant improvement in hemodynamic, respiratory, and renal indices in children with extremely low cardiac output after open heart surgery. Further controlled studies are needed to confirm the drug's safety and efficacy in this population.
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No data exist regarding the safety and effectiveness of a potassium replacement protocol for hospitalized patients when potassium replacement dosing regimens (KRDRs) are adjusted to Modification of Diet in Renal Disease estimation of glomerular filtration rate (MDRD GFR). ⋯ Our potassium replacement protocol based on MDRD GFR and Kdef effectively corrects hypokalemia. Fewer protocol initiations achieved goal serum potassium levels in the group with MDRD GFR 40-70 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Hyperkalemia rarely occurred following KRDR.
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Patients with breast cancer often receive emetogenic anthracycline-based chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) has been commonly reported as one of the distressing adverse effects among patients with cancer. Despite the advent of newer antiemetics and better understanding of the CINV pathophysiology, total eradication of CINV has yet to be achieved. ⋯ Most of our patients adhered to their antiemetics and tolerated AC chemotherapy reasonably well, without vomiting; yet nausea persisted. To improve CINV control, clinicians must actively communicate with patients to facilitate accurate assessment of risk factors and CINV response and to encourage adherence to delayed antiemetics.
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Physicians often refer to drugs by their brand names, which can result in brand name drugs being dispensed even when bioequivalent generic alternatives are available. As a result, use of brand-name terminology may result in increased drug costs. ⋯ Brand-name terminology is commonly used and decreases over time with the introduction of generic competition. Interventions that standardize medication-naming practices may hasten this decline and increase use of nonproprietary terminology in medicine.