Presence of metallic components in transdermal drug delivery systems and risk of skin burns.

Objective: Skin burns are associated with the presence of metallic components in transdermal drug delivery systems during Magnetic Resonance Imaging, cardioversion or defibrillation procedures. The aim of the study was to review the presence of metallic components in marketed products of transdermal drug delivery systems in Spain.

Method: For each presentation, the summary of product characteristics was reviewed.

Presence of metallic components in transdermal drug delivery systems and risk of skin burns.

Objective: Skin burns are associated with the presence of metallic components in transdermal drug delivery systems during Magnetic Resonance Imaging, cardioversion, or defibrillation procedures. The aim of the study was to review the presence of metallic components in marketed products of transdermal drug delivery systems in Spain.

Method: For each pharmaceutical form, the summary of product characteristics was reviewed.

Pharmacist care in hospital emergency departments: a consensus paper from the Spanish hospital pharmacy and emergency medicine associations.

Objectives: To draft a list of actions and quality indicators for pharmacist care in hospital emergency departments, based on consensus among a panel of experts regarding which actions to prioritize in this setting.

Material And Methods: A panel of experts from the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH) and the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES) evaluated a preliminary list of potential actions and quality of care indicators. The experts used a questionnaire to assess the proposals on the basis of available evidence.

[Translated article] Achieving excellence in the pharmaceutical care of the surgical patient.

The perioperative setting is one of the hospital areas with the highest prevalence of medication errors. Despite the wide experience of hospital pharmacists in developing medication safety programs and improvement initiatives, the perioperative setting has remained one of the areas in which there is less experience. Clinical pharmacist should be integrated into the multidisciplinary care team so that they can be involved in the different surgical phases of care, which include from the preoperative assessment to inpatient stay, and finally discharge from hospital.

Appropriateness of Empirical Antibiotic Therapy for Cervicitis and Urethritis Prescribed in the Emergency Department.

Objectives: Sexually transmitted infections are a prevalent global health care problem. Treatment guidelines have recently been updated as a result of antimicrobial resistance and public health trends. The aim of the study was to assess the appropriateness of empirical antibiotic therapy prescribed for cervicitis and urethritis in the emergency department.

Achieving excellence in the pharmaceutical care of the surgical patient.

The perioperative setting is one of the hospital areas with the highest prevalence of medication errors. Despite the wide experience of hospital pharmacists in developing medication safety programs and improvement initiatives, the surgical environment has remained one of the areas in which there is less experience. Clinical pharmacist should be integrated into the multidisciplinary care teams so that they can be involved in the different surgical phases of care, which include from the preoperative assessment to inpatient stay, and finally discharge from hospital.

Mobile Health Apps Providing Information on Drugs for Adult Emergency Care: Systematic Search on App Stores and Content Analysis.

Background: Drug-referencing apps are among the most frequently used by emergency health professionals. To date, no study has analyzed the quantity and quality of apps that provide information on emergency drugs.

Objective: This study aimed to identify apps designed to assist emergency professionals in managing drugs and to describe and analyze their characteristics.

PCSK9 inhibitors revisited: Effectiveness and safety of PCSK9 inhibitors in a real-life Spanish cohort.

Introduction: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) have emerged as a therapeutic option for patients with hypercholesterolemia who do not attain low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals and/or are intolerant to other lipid-lowering drugs. Our aim was to analyze the effectiveness and safety of PCSK9i in routine clinical practice and factors related to poor outcomes.

Materials And Methods: We conducted an ambispective study in 115 patients who recieved alirocumab or evolocumab, in a tertiary level hospital.

Promoting clinical pharmacy services through advanced medication review in the emergency department.

Objectives: To determine if an advanced medication review carried out in the emergency department (ED) increases the number of pharmacotherapy recommendations (PR) and the severity of the detected prescribing errors.

Methods: We designed an analytic observational prospective cohort study with preintervention assessment (PRE) and postintervention assessment (POST). In PRE, prescription review was done by pharmacists located in the pharmacy department; they took into account only the information provided by the computerised physician order entry system.

Thromboprophylaxis Management in Surgical Patients: The Efficacy of a Protocol in the Electronic Prescription Program.

Background And Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) continues to be a problem in surgical patients, but thromboprophylactic measures are not always implemented. This study aimed to evaluate thromboprophylaxis practice in surgical patients at our institution by assessing appropriateness during admission and discharge; 60-day clinical outcomes are analyzed, and finally further interventions are discussed for continued improvement.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in patients undergoing orthopedic and abdominal surgical procedures.

Drug safety surveillance within a strategy for the management of non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia.

Background Severe non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia is a rare idiosyncratic drug reaction that is considered potentially fatal. Objective To report, in terms of drug safety surveillance, the results of an institutional strategy for NCDIN. Method An observational and prospective study including all adult patients who received filgrastim for the treatment of NCDIN from June 2015 to December 2017 was carried out by hematologists and clinical pharmacists.

Cancellations of elective surgical procedures due to inadequate management of chronic medications.

What Is Known And Objectives: Inadequate management of chronic medication puts patients at risk and causes unnecessary suspension of surgical procedures. The objective of the study was to calculate the rate of cancellation of elective surgical procedures due to inadequate management of chronic medications and to analyse the underlying causes of cancellation.

Methods: We designed an analytic, observational, retrospective study of all elective surgical procedures performed from July to October 2017 in a tertiary hospital.

Twelve weeks of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/r and dasabuvir without ribavirin is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis: results from a real-world cohort study.

Objective: To explore the effectiveness and safety of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir (OBV/PTV/r+DSV) for 12 weeks without ribavirin in adults with chronic HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis.

Methods: Observational study of a prospective cohort of adult patients with HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis who received 12 weeks of OBV/PTV/r and DSV without ribavirin. Effectiveness was assessed by recording the percentage of patients achieving sustained virological response at week 12 post-treatment (SVR12).

Lactulose enemas in the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. Do we help or harm?

The administration of lactulose enemas instead of or in combination with oral lactulose is common practice in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. Lactulose is a non-absorbable disaccharide that is catabolized by the bacterial flora to short chain fatty acids (e.g.

Improving pharmacotherapy outcomes in patients with hepatitis C virus infection treated with direct-acting antivirals: The GRUviC project.

Background/objective: Pharmaceutical care is needed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAA). We describe the implementation of a comprehensive pharmaceutical care programme (CPCP) for HCV-infected patients treated with DAA in a tertiary-care hospital and provide data about health outcomes and costs.

Methods: Quasi-experimental study between 1 April 2015 and 30 June 2016.

Clinical and Economic Impact of a Multisciplinary Intervention to Reduce Bleeding Risk in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Introduction And Objectives: To evaluate the clinical and economic impact of a multidisciplinary program to reduce bleeding events in patients with acute coronary syndrome through optimization of antithrombotic therapy.

Methods: We designed a preintervention (PRE) and postintervention (POST) quasi-experimental study using a retrospective analysis of 2 cohorts. The first cohort was analyzed to detect correctable measures contributing to bleeding (PRE).

Level of concordance between two risk-assessment models for predicting venous thromboembolism in medical patients at admission.

Objectives: To evaluate the level of concordance between the 2007 PRETEMED guidelines and the 2012 American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines in medical patients at admission.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study was designed and included all adult medical patients admitted from an emergency department. Firstly, patients classified as low-moderate risk and high risk according to PRETEMED were compared to those classified by ACCP as low and high risk.

Successful Treatment With Bosentan for Digital Ulcers Related to Mixed Cryoglobulinemia: A Case Report.

A 49-year-old man diagnosed with genotype 1 hepatitis C, CD5-positive marginal zone lymphoma, and mixed cryoglobulinemia type II developed skin ulcers and necrosis in his right foot. He was treated with amlodipine, corticosteroids, plasmapheresis, alprostadil, rituximab, and cyclophosphamide without a satisfactory response. For this reason, he required a partial amputation of the second, third, and fifth fingers of the right foot.

[Home parenteral nutrition; satisfaction of patients and their caregivers with nutrition unit and pharmacy service].

Introduction: Home Parenteral Nutrition (HPN) is a practice in continually growing by the significant advantages involved for the patient and the healthcare system. Today, in the investigation of health outcomes is essential to assess the patient s opinion. Among the measures focused on patients with HPN, several studies about quality of life have been done, but the degree of satisfaction with this treatment modality has not been evaluated.

Effectiveness of a pilot intervention to reduce abciximab-related bleeding in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Background And Objective: Reducing bleeding events is a priority in patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The effectiveness of optimization measures for reducing abciximab-related bleeding was evaluated through the implementation of a pilot program developed by the Pharmacy and the Cardiology Departments at a tertiary-care hospital.

Main Outcome Measure: Percentage of bleeding events.