Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Dec 1999
Survey of the stocking of poison antidotes in Alabama hospitals.
We wanted to estimate the current antidote supply in Alabama hospitals, establish if certain antidotes were stocked more than others, and identify certain parameters (eg, treatment level of care, licensed bed size, or county population) as predictors for the current antidote supply. ⋯ Hospitals must reevaluate their current antidote inventories for meeting the needs of acutely poisoned patients. Policy containing specific guidelines must be developed and uniformly adopted as standard of practice.
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Southern medical journal · Nov 1999
Epidural analgesia provided during labor by obstetricians: outcome analysis.
Epidural analgesic has been given during labor by attending obstetricians at Minden Medical Center since 1976. This outcome analysis was done to determine the frequency, effectiveness, and complications of epidural analgesia from January 1, 1993 through December 31, 1995. ⋯ Obstetricians at this hospital provided epidural analgesia for a high percentage (91.8%) of patients in labor. Adequate pain relief was obtained in 94.8% of the patients who received epidural analgesia. No serious complications occurred.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 1999
Case ReportsNeuroleptic malignant syndrome due to promethazine.
A 42-year-old man came to our emergency room hyperthermic (oral temperature, 42.4 degrees C), diaphoretic, and delirious. Other findings included labile blood pressure, sinus tachycardia (heart rate, 138/min), tachypnea (respiratory rate 34/min), muscle rigidity, and incontinence. ⋯ Laboratory studies showed leukocytosis, hypernatremia, metabolic acidosis, elevated creatinine phosphokinase level, elevated transaminase levels, azotemia, hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia, and myoglobulinuria. The clinical and laboratory findings were characteristic of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome, with promethazine as the offending agent.
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Southern medical journal · Oct 1999
Impact of two ambulatory care training programs on smoking-cessation activities.
Tobacco use causes significant morbidity and mortality. Resident physicians at the George Washington University Medical Center are trained to counsel patients to stop smoking. ⋯ Resident physicians in the primary care training program obtained more smoking histories and counseled more patients to stop smoking. Further study is necessary to evaluate strategies that can be used in residency training to encourage smoking-cessation counseling.