Disorders of sodium and water balance are common in patients with central nervous system (CNS) disease. These disorders frequently complicate the treatment course by precipitating or worsening neurological symptoms. These patients are not only at risk for symptoms secondary to dysnatremia but also a

Critically ill neurologic patients can pose a challenge when it comes to providing sedation and analgesia, primarily with the balance of maintaining sedation to provide patient comfort while still allowing a neurological examination. Determination of the optimal agent requires assessment and underst

Objectives: To determine community pharmacists' attitudes and knowledge on providing immunizations including perceived barriers to immunizing. The study also examined the percentage of Arkansas pharmacists providing immunizations and the utilization of student pharmacists. Design: Sur

Seizures are serious complications seen in critically ill patients and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality if the cause is not identified and treated quickly. Uncontrolled seizures can lead to status epilepticus (SE), which is considered a medical emergency. The first-line treatment of s

Therapeutic hypothermia is becoming an important intervention following acute neurologic injury despite inconclusive results concerning efficacy. This enthusiasm primarily stems from a lack of other effective interventions in this population. With the increase in the use of therapeutic hypothermia,

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the United States. While there are no pharmacotherapeutic options currently available for attenuating the neurologic injury cascade after TBI, numerous pharmacologic issues are encountered in these critically ill patients. Adeq

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a type of hemorrhagic stroke that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Although guidelines have been published to help direct the care of these patients, there is insufficient quality literature regarding the medical and pharmacological manageme

Like many others, the St. Louis Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) Pharmacy help desk receives far more calls than can be processed by current staffing levels. The objective of the study is to improve pharmaceutical services provided by the call center, by using queueing theory and discre

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most devastating subtypes of stroke and is characterized by spontaneous extravasation into the parenchymal tissue of the brain. Although advances in critical care have improved, there is no intervention currently available that has shown to alter the outc

Federal regulation of the traditional art of pharmacy practice compounding is an unsettled area of the law and the profession. For many years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was not interested in compounding. Attempts to regulate by FDA and Congress have caused difficulty within the professi

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the number one cause of adult long-term disability. Disability in stroke survivors includes hemiparesis, aphasia, inability to walk without assistance, dependence on others for activities of daily living, depression, and institution

Objectives: Continuing professional development (CPD) is a novel approach to learning and developing as a professional. The purpose of this study is to administer, observe, and evaluate a condensed CPD training program to determine its effectiveness. Study method: The program consists

Background and goal: Due to the importance of anticoagulation use along with the complications that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) may bring about for the patients, in this study we decided to carry out a drug utilization evaluation on anticoagulants that are r

Nearly 50 million women each year are projected to reach menopause by 2030. Many of these women will experience vasomotor symptoms such as night sweats and hot flashes as they enter the menopausal transition. Up until the release of the findings of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) studies, women

The stability of pergolide mesylate in an oral aqueous liquid was studied. Stability and solubility data were used to determine the degradation characteristics of the drug in this formulation. Samples were stored in the dark at 35°C, 45°C, and 60°C. At 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks, samples were remo

The objective of this study was to determine whether patients enrolled in a centralized amiodarone monitoring service (AMS) were more adherent to amiodarone surveillance and whether the incidence of amiodarone-related toxicity differed for patients who were enrolled in the AMS. Amiodarone therapy wa

Objective: To evaluate the extent of research training and productivity among junior faculty in US schools of pharmacy. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted to characterize junior faculty’s (a) research training and productivity, (b) perceived ability to meet research

Antimicrobial stewardship is an important process proven to combat antimicrobial resistance, improve patient outcomes, and reduce costs. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) have provided guidelines for the provision of antim

The objective of this study was to determine if the addition of a reflective writing component in a fourth year (P-2) pharmacy communication skills course would significantly affect 2 measures of learning: (1) objective multiple choice examination questions and (2) a patient counseling Objective Str

A new set of standards, ACPE Standards 2007, adopted by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), required all pharmacy programs to include introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) to represent 5% of the curriculum and advance pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) to represe

The objective was to study the influence of storage conditions on the quality of inhalation capsules and to investigate patients’ knowledge and adherence to storage instructions. Inhalation capsules marketed in the Netherlands were stored at normal (20°C/60% relative humidity) and dry (20°C/25% rela

Purpose: The case of a 57-year-old male who experienced acute renal transplant rejection due to subtherapeutic tacrolimus levels as a result of drug interaction with phenobarbital. Summary: Drug interactions with tacrolimus due to its metabolism through the CYP 450 3A4 enzymatic pathw

Mechanical ventilation is a common therapeutic modality required for the management of patients unable to maintain adequate intrinsic ventilation and oxygenation. Mechanical ventilators can be found within various hospital and nonhospital environments (ie, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities,

Acid–base disorders are common in the critically ill. Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is frequently used to identify and manage acid–base disturbances. Using a systematic problem-solving approach to acid–base disturbances will facilitate the identification and assess the progression and severity o