American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
-
Am J Health Syst Pharm · Jul 2011
ReviewDexmedetomidine for opioid and benzodiazepine withdrawal in pediatric patients.
The published literature on the use of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct to sedation and analgesia in the management of pediatric narcotic withdrawal was reviewed. ⋯ A limited body of published evidence from retrospective studies and case reports suggests a potential role for dexmedetomidine as an adjunct therapy to provide sedation and analgesia to reduce narcotic withdrawal symptoms in pediatric patients.
-
Am J Health Syst Pharm · Jul 2011
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAnticoagulation therapy for hospitalized patients: patterns of use, compliance with national guidelines, and performance on quality measures.
The use of anticoagulant therapy for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among hospital inpatients was evaluated. ⋯ Among hospitals in a large national health care system, the most common use of anticoagulants in hospitalized patients was for VTE prevention, followed by ACS and VTE treatment. Enoxaparin and UFH were the most commonly used agents for each indication, and the selection and use of anticoagulants were in compliance with national guidelines in the majority of patients for whom those drugs were prescribed.
-
Am J Health Syst Pharm · May 2011
Effect of a pharmacist-managed culture review process on antimicrobial therapy in an emergency department.
PURPOSE. The impact of an emergency department (ED) procedure requiring pharmacist review of all culture results as a way to improve use of antimicrobial therapies was evaluated. METHODS. ⋯ CONCLUSION. ED pharmacists at Carolinas Medical Center-Northeast designed and implemented a pharmacist-managed culture review process. During a one-year period, ED pharmacists reviewed 2361 culture reports and modified the antimicrobial regimens of 355 patients.