Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography As a Non-Invasive Tool for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome.

Background And Purpose: Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is a vascular headache disorder characterized by severe headaches with vasospasm of cerebral arteries. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) has been widely applied and validated in studying vasospasm of intracranial vessels, but the role of TCD in the diagnosis and monitoring of RCVS is less well established. We sought to determine the reliability of TCD for diagnosis and monitoring of RCVS.

Descriptive study of opioid-acetaminophen prescription patterns at the providence VA Medical Center.

Background: Prescription opioid-acetaminophen products account for the majority of cases of acetaminophen-related acute liver failure in the United States. We sought to examine the frequency of opioid-acetaminophen overuse at the Providence VA Medical Center and improve the quality and safety of opioid-acetaminophen prescription practices in a system employing electronic health records and e-prescribing.

Results: During fiscal year 2011, the Providence VA pharmacy dispensed a total of 19,841 acetaminophen prescriptions to a total of 4455 different patients.