Adaptation of clinical pharmacy services to meet patient care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has challenged health systems to find innovative ways of delivering patient care while protecting staff from infection with the virus. As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to evolve establishing "hot spots" in various areas of the country, clinicians have learned more about caring for these patients. This has required the Department of Pharmacy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital to constantly update the approach it has taken during this time, and the guidance which is provided for the pharmaceutical care of these patients.

Atypical Reactivation of Varicella Zoster Virus Associated with Pancreatitis in a Heart Transplant Patient.

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis is rare following solid organ transplantation but is associated with high mortality. It has been most commonly reported following renal transplant but can occur with other solid organ transplantations. CASE REPORT A 46-year-old male who had an orthotopic heart transplant 6 months ago presented with a 3-week history of abdominal pain.

Very High-Dose Furosemide Continuous Infusions: A Case Series.

Background: There is paucity of data evaluating the efficacy and safety of very high-dose furosemide continuous infusions (≥40 mg/h) for volume removal. This infusion is a novel strategy of loop diuretic administration that may add valuable data to current literature.

Methods And Results: This was a retrospective chart review.

Serotonin syndrome following left ventricular assist device implantation: A report and institution-specific strategy for prevention.

Serotonin syndrome is a potentially lethal complication of antidepressant therapy. Cardiac surgical patients are at particularly high risk of serotonin syndrome due to the prevalence of depression in patients with advanced cardiac disease, many of whom receive multiple serotonergic agents in the perioperative period. Here, we describe a case of postoperative serotonin syndrome following methylene blue administration for perioperative vasoplegia during left ventricular assist device implantation.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of mexiletine at a large academic medical center.

Introduction: The therapeutic trough range for mexiletine (0.8-2 mcg/mL) was largely established in the setting of arrhythmia prophylaxis following myocardial infarction.

Objective: Describe the usage patterns of serum mexiletine concentrations and the impact of these concentrations on mexiletine dosing in modern practice for ventricular arrhythmia treatment.

Impact of the Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative on Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Practice.

This paper describes the goals of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative (PPMI) and its recommendations for health-system pharmacy practice transformation to meet future patient care needs and elevate the role of pharmacists as patient care providers. PPMI envisions a future in which pharmacists have greater responsibility for medication-related outcomes and technicians assume greater responsibility for product-related activities. Although the PPMI recommendations have elevated the level of practice in many settings, they also potentially affect existing clinical pharmacists, in general, and clinical pharmacy specialists, in particular.

Safety of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used in the management of a variety of conditions, but their prevalence is likely underreported as a result of widespread availability and the perception that nonprescription therapies are unnecessary to report during medication history taking. However, NSAIDs are associated with a number of adverse effects, especially in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Patients with CVD and comorbidities for which NSAIDs may provide symptomatic relief (e.

Stage A: can heart failure be prevented?

Heart failure (HF) is an epidemic associated with significant morbidity and mortality, affecting over 5 million people in the United States and 1-2% of the population worldwide. Observational studies have suggested that a healthy lifestyle can reduce HF risk. Although no clinical trials have targeted the prevention of HF as a primary endpoint, many have evaluated outcomes associated with the development of symptomatic disease (i.

Clinical update on the management of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality, affecting more than 3 million people in the United States and 1-2% of the population worldwide. Its estimated prevalence is expected to double within the next 50 years. During the past decade, there have been significant advances in the treatment of AF.