The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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To review the efficacy and safety of drotrecogin alfa (recombinant human activated protein C) in the treatment of sepsis. ⋯ Drotrecogin alfa offers a significant advance in the treatment of severe sepsis. Judicious use in appropriate patients is necessary to control cost and maximize clinical benefits.
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To describe the clinical presentation of propofol infusion syndrome in critically ill adults. ⋯ Until further safety data become available, caution should be exercised when using high-dose (>5 mg/kg/h) and long-term (>48 h) propofol infusion in sedating critically ill adults.
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To briefly present the current options available for the treatment of acute, severe asthma in children, with a special focus on emergency department and inpatient treatment, and to describe newer therapies that may aid treatment in the future. ⋯ beta(2)-agonists, ipratropium, and corticosteroids remain the most useful therapeutic agents for acute asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients. However, these agents are not ideal in all patients and, given the existing questions regarding safety and/or efficacy of available alternatives, more effective options are needed.
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Review Meta Analysis
Fomepizole as an antidote for ethylene glycol poisoning.
To assess the use of fomepizole in the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning in the absence of hemodialysis. ⋯ Case reports and 1 prospective trial have shown that, in the absence of both renal dysfunction and significant metabolic acidosis, the use of fomepizole should obviate the need for hemodialysis. However, the decision to add hemodialysis in the treatment of ethylene glycol poisoning based on plasma ethylene glycol concentrations is still debatable. A randomized, controlled trial is needed to determine the exact criteria for adding hemodialysis.