American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
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Am J Health Syst Pharm · Feb 2011
Effects of therapeutic drug monitoring criteria in a computerized prescriber-order-entry system on the appropriateness of vancomycin level orders.
The effects of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) criteria in a computerized prescriber-order-entry (CPOE) system on the appropriateness of orders for vancomycin levels were evaluated. ⋯ A significant increase in the number of appropriately ordered and drawn serum vancomycin levels occurred after implementation of TDM criteria in the hospital's CPOE system. The majority of orders that were deemed inappropriate were due to improper timing of laboratory collection.
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Am J Health Syst Pharm · Feb 2011
Review Case ReportsEradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an adult patient with cystic fibrosis.
The use of a continuous infusion of a β-lactam antibiotic in combination with high-dose, extended-interval amino-glycoside therapy for eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an adult patient with cystic fibrosis (CF) is reported. ⋯ The administration of continuous-infusion cefepime and high-dose, extended-interval tobramycin led to the successful eradication of P. aeruginosa in an adult patient with CF.
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Am J Health Syst Pharm · Jan 2011
Treatment of local-anesthetic toxicity with lipid emulsion therapy.
The use of lipid emulsion to treat local-anesthetic toxicity is discussed. ⋯ Lipid emulsion has been reported useful in the treatment of systemic toxicity caused by local anesthetics. The mechanism of effect is unclear, and evidence for the benefit of lipid therapy in humans is from case reports only.
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Drug therapies for patients with acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS) are reviewed, including clinical practice guideline recommendations for the treatment of hospitalized patients with heart failure (HF). ⋯ Drug therapy of AHFS may include diuretics, vasodilators, morphine, ACE inhibitors, digoxin, inotropes, and vasopressin antagonists. Clinical practice guidelines for patients with AHFS provide a useful mechanism to incorporate available evidence and standards of practice into patient care.