Monday, December 20, 2010

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Beta Blocker Overdose

http://www.courses.ahc.umn.edu/pharmacy/6124/handouts/Beta%20blockers.pdf

from John Gualtieri, College of Pharmacy, U of Minnesota
guideline and summary on beta blockers poisoning

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Today's Hospitalist - Good resource for hospital protocols and guidelines

This website contains good number of order sets from various hospitals which I find very helpful as a quick reference.

click here

Monday, July 5, 2010

Pharmacokinetic Overview

http://www.globalrph.com/kinetics.htm

By D.McAuley, GlobalRPh Inc

Note:
changes in renal function may not reflect nephrotoxicity.
Other causes of acute renal failure occurring in hospitalized patients, include:
- Severe or prolonged hypotension (decreased renal perfusion)
- Surgery
- Other nephrotoxic drugs: amphotericin, cisplatin, etc.
- Acute cardiovascular dysfunction

Monday, April 26, 2010

Neonatal Drug Guidelines: UCSF Children's Hospital

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Great reference for neonate click here
and this is a ref for GERD in pediatric click here [from California Pacific Medical Center]

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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Treatment and Management of Atrial Fibrillation [โรคหัวใจเต้นผิดจังหวะ]

Ref: US Pharmacist [health system editions] February 2010

Atrial fibrillation or AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in general population. AF is a supraventricular tachyarryhythmia characterized by uncoordinated atrial electrical conduction, which resulted in a deterioration of mechanical function.

Signs and symptoms are chest pain, palpitations, dyspnea, fatigue and syncope. Diagnosis of AF requires ECG which will display rapid oscillations of varying amplitude, shape and timing that replace consistent P waves.




Management
The treatment goals for AF are the restoration and maintenance of sinus rhythm and the prevention of thromboembolic complications.
Elective cardioversion
Pharmacologic cardioversion

Amiodarone
[po/iv]
for po route
Inpatient: 1.2-1.8 gm/day in divided doses until 10gm total then 200-400 mg per day.
Outpatient: 600-800 mg per day until 10gm then 200-400 mg per day
for iv route
5-7mg/kg over 30-60min then 1.2-1.8 gm/day cont iv or divided po doses until 10gm total then 200-400 mg per day

Dofetilide
for po route
500 mcg bid - must adjust if CrCl < 60 ml/min

Flecainide
[po/iv]
for po route 200-300 mg
for iv route 1.5-3 mg/kg over 10-20 min [available only in Europe]

Ibutilide
for iv route only
pt over 60 kg: 1mg over 10 min - may repeat 1mg when necessary
pt less than 60 kg: 0.01 mg/kg over 10 min and may repeat the same dose only once after 10 min if necessary

Propafenone
[po/iv]
for po route 600 mg
for iv route 1.5-2 mg/kg over 10-20 min [available only in Europe]

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Chrohn's Disease [โรคลำไส้อุดตัน]

Ref U.S. Pharmacist [health system edition] January 2010

Current Management and Prospective Therapies

Basically, it happens when protective barrier for the intestinal tract is compromised from injury, bacterial products, or exogenous agents. These factors cause cell death. Then endothelial cells recruit leukocytes, fibroblasts, and epithelium into the mucosa from the vascular space, resulting in granulomas [which is a histopathologic lanmark of Chrohn's disease damage to the GI tract.]
Chronic inflamation ultimately thickens the bowel wall and eventually narrows the lumen.

Therapeutic Management Options

Aminosalicylates (5-ASA)
1st line therapy for mild - moderate CD.
Sulfasalazine, mesalamine, olsalazine, balsalazine
Be-careful with sulfasalazine since it contains sulfa so it shouldn't be used in patients who allergic to sulfa. In this case, mesalamine would be an option. Only Pentasa [controlled release cap] and Asacol [delayed release tab] are mesalamine forms used for CD treatment.
Adverse effects include headache, nausea, GI distress

Glucocorticoids

to reduce inflammatory and to induce remission of active CD.
Normally use when 5-ASA compounds are ineffective because of lack of efficacy in maintaining CD remission. Common adverse effects are moon face, acne, weight gain, dyspepsia.

Immunosuppressants

Thiopurines can maintain remission of moderate to severe CD.
Azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine are steroid-sparing agents that induce cell apotosis.
Methotrexate inhibits cytokine synthesis. It is effective for inducing remission and preventing relapse in patients with CD. MTX treatment; 25mg per week has a slow onset [3-6 months] and requires monitoring.

Antimicrobials

mild to moderate CD associated with fistulas and abscesses.
Fluoroquinolones and metronidazole are drug of choice.
Flagyl 500mg po q12hrs
Ciprofloxacin > or equal to 20mg/kg/day

Biological

Infliximab [Remicade]
Adalimumab [Humira]
and new agents such as nataliumab, certolizumab

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment

Pharmacotherapies for Opioids, Tobacco and Alcohol
From NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

http://nida.nih.gov/PODAT/Evidence.html#Pharm