Use of clonidine in the prevention and management of neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Introduction: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a complicated medical condition with treatment regimens that traditionally have included methadone and other opioids, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines. We describe a case series in which clonidine was used for the prevention and management of patients with NAS.

Patients And Methods: Medical records of infants treated with clonidine for NAS from January 2003 to March 2006 were reviewed for gestational age, birth weight, NAS score, dose of clonidine, duration of treatment, and additional medications required.

Parenteral ophthalmic tropicamide or cyclopentolate protects rats from lethal organophosphate poisoning.

We determine the efficacy of parenteral ophthalmic antimuscarinic agents (tropicamide ophthalmic 1% and cyclopentolate hydrochloride ophthalmic 1%) on survivability in a rat model of acute, lethal organophosphate pesticide (OP) poisoning. After obtaining an appropriate dose-response for study comparison, rodents were randomized to receive 1 of 4 intraperitoneal antidotes; (1) 0.3 mL normal saline, (2) atropine 10 mg/kg, (3) ophthalmic tropicamide 20 mg/kg, or (4) ophthalmic cyclopentolate 20 mg/kg.

Intramuscular ophthalmic homatropine vs. atropine to prevent lethality in rates with dichlorvos poisoning.

Introduction: Most hospitals lack a sufficient supply of atropine to treat, simultaneously, patients poisoned with multiple organophosphorous compound (OC) or nerve agent. The presence of a ubiquitous alternate antidote would prove useful if mass poisoning occurred. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of ophthalmic homatropine (Isopto Homatropine 5%) on survivability in a rat model of significant, acute OC poisoning.

Pretreating rats with parenteral ophthalmic antimuscarinic agents decreases mortality from lethal organophosphate poisoning.

Background: In the event of a large scale organophosphate (OP) or nerve agent exposure that depletes a hospital's atropine stores, alternative antidotes should be considered.

Objectives: To test the effects of parenteral administration of ophthalmic antimuscarinic agents on survivability in a rat model of acute, lethal OP poisoning.

Methods: After determining appropriate dosing for comparison, rodents were randomized to receive one of four intraperitoneal antidotes (n = 10 per group): 1) normal saline (0.

Induced hypothermia is underused after resuscitation from cardiac arrest: a current practice survey.

Background: Important recent work has demonstrated that the use of induced hypothermia can improve survival and neurologic recovery after cardiac arrest. We wished to ascertain the extent to which physicians were using this treatment, and what opinions are held by clinicians regarding its use.

Methods: An internet-based survey of physicians was conducted, with physicians chosen at random from published directories of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, the American Thoracic Society, and the American Heart Association.