Assessment of a Naloxone Coprescribing Alert for Patients at Risk of Opioid Overdose: A Quality Improvement Project.

Background: Patients taking high doses of opioids, or taking opioids in combination with other central nervous system depressants, are at increased risk of opioid overdose. Coprescribing the opioid-reversal agent naloxone is an essential safety measure, recommended by the surgeon general, but the rate of naloxone coprescribing is low. Therefore, we set out to determine whether a targeted clinical decision support alert could increase the rate of naloxone coprescribing.

Rebuilding the Standing Prescription Renewal Orders.

Background: Managing prescription renewal requests is a labor-intensive challenge in ambulatory care. In 2009, Vanderbilt University Medical Center developed clinic-specific standing prescription renewal orders that allowed nurses, under specific conditions, to authorize renewal requests. Formulary and authorization changes made maintaining these documents very challenging.

A critical review of reported air concentrations of organic compounds in aircraft cabins.

This paper presents a review and assessment of aircraft cabin air quality studies with measured levels of volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs). VOC and SVOC concentrations reported for aircraft cabins are compared with those reported for residential and office buildings and for passenger compartments of other types of transportation. An assessment of measurement technologies and quality assurance procedures is included.

Quantitative amino acid analysis using a Beckman system gold HPLC 126AA analyzer.

Background: The Beckman 6300/7300 analyzer, which was widely used for amino acid (AA) analysis, is no longer commercially available.

Methods: To set up an affordable AA analysis program, a Beckman system gold HPLC 126AA analyzer and Pickering Laboratories reagents were used. Two quantitative AA analysis programs were developed.