Improving acute care outcome in internal medicine: the role of early stabilization and intermediate care unit.

The progressive reduction of acute care beds will necessitate hospital admission in medical settings solely for acutely ill patients requiring urgent organ support. Early stabilization of the acute condition, potentially through an appropriate treatment unit, may not only improve short-term patient outcomes but also reduce the length of hospital stay. To determine if stabilization of the acute condition in an intermediate care unit (IMCU) is associated with improved patient outcomes and reduced in-hospital stay.

Time Course of Reversal of Fentanyl-Induced Respiratory Depression in Healthy Subjects by Intramuscular Nalmefene and Intramuscular and Intranasal Naloxone.

The increase in opioid overdose deaths, particularly involving potent, long-acting synthetic opioids, has led to calls for stronger, longer-acting opioid-overdose-reversal agents. Using an opioid-induced respiratory depression model, we investigated the onset and time course of action of naloxone and a long-acting opioid antagonist, nalmefene, in reversing the effects of an ongoing intravenous fentanyl infusion over a period of up to 100 min. Healthy, moderately experienced opioid users received intramuscular (IM) nalmefene 1 mg, IM naloxone 2 mg, or intranasal (IN) naloxone 4 mg after fentanyl-induced respiratory depression was established based on reduction in respiratory minute volume (MV).

Evaluation of sunobinop for next-day residual effects in healthy participants.

Sunobinop is a novel, potent, selective partial agonist at nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptors. The primary objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to assess the next-day residual effects of an evening dose of sunobinop in healthy participants. Participants were randomized into 1 of 5 treatment sequences.