Publications by authors named "Benjamin Hammer"
Article Synopsis
- Drug shortages, particularly of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), can negatively impact patient care, highlighting the need for better strategies to manage these situations.
- A multidisciplinary task force was formed to create a tier system prioritizing IVIG use based on diagnosis severity and urgency, which helped streamline approval processes during the shortage.
- The approach proved effective, with only 2.6% of all IVIG requests denied and no adverse effects linked directly to the shortage or tier system, suggesting this method could benefit healthcare institutions facing similar shortages in the future.
What a Waste: Perioperative Fentanyl Wastage at a Pediatric Hospital.
J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther
February 2022
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to measure how much IV fentanyl is wasted during surgeries at a children's hospital.
- - Researchers used electronic records to analyze the amount of medication thrown away.
- - They found a large amount of wastage and suggested new medication forms to help reduce financial costs, environmental impact, and supply chain issues.
Background: Antimicrobial stewardship is a systematic effort to change prescribing attitudes that can provide benefit in the provision of care to persons with cystic fibrosis (CF). Our objective was to decrease the unwarranted use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and assess the impact of an empiric antibiotic algorithm using quality improvement methodology.
Methods: We assembled a multidisciplinary team with expertise in CF.
There is a little data regarding safety or efficacy of monoclonal antibody treatment for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in pediatric patients despite it being frequently used in adults. This retrospective study of 17 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who received monoclonal antibody therapy found that the treatment was well tolerated, safe, and may be effective in halting progression to severe disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Vancomycin remains one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in NICUs despite recommendations to limit its use for known resistant infections. Baseline data revealing substantially higher vancomycin use in our NICU compared to peer institutions informed our quality improvement initiative. Our aim was to reduce the vancomycin prescribing rate in neonates hospitalized in our NICU by 50% within 1 year and sustain for 1 year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Methylene blue (MB) has been used to treat refractory hypotension in a variety of settings.
Aims: We sought to determine whether MB improved blood pressure in postcardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) vasoplegic syndrome (VS) in a complex cardiac surgery population. Furthermore, to determine variables that predicted response to MB.
Appropriate Use of Vancomycin in NICU Despite Free-for-All Policy.
J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther
July 2016
Objectives: Because of increases in antimicrobial resistance, the use of vancomycin in late-onset sepsis has come under scrutiny. The primary outcome of this study was to determine if vancomycin for the treatment of late-onset sepsis in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was being discontinued within 72 hours according to the existing protocol. Secondary outcomes included the appropriateness of therapeutic drug monitoring associated with vancomycin, and renal dysfunction associated with the use of vancomycin in the NICU outside of the 72-hour policy.
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