Haloperidol, a Novel Treatment for Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is typically unresponsive to conventional pharmacologic antiemetics, and patients often require excessive laboratory and radiographic testing and hospital admission. We report 4 cases of CHS that failed standard emergency department therapy but improved significantly after treatment with haloperidol. Although the exact mechanism for CHS remains unclear, dysregulation at cannabinoid type 1 seems to play a role.

Old drug new trick: levamisole-adulterated cocaine causing acute kidney injury.

Levamisole is an agent previously used in humans and later withdrawn from the US drug market due to concerns of agranulocytosis.It is currently used as an adulterating agent in cocaine, bringing to light toxicities typically manifested by vasculitis and skin necrosis.We report a case of a 36-year-old crack cocaine user who presented with a purpuric rash on her face and limbs.

Haloperidol for treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a condition characterized by cyclical vomiting without other identifiable cause in patients with chronic cannabis use. Patients with CHS report that compulsive bathing and hot showers are the only reliable treatments to improve symptoms. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome is usually unresponsive to conventional pharmacologic antiemetics, and patients often require hospital admission.

Strategies for implementing emergency department pharmacy services: results from the 2007 ASHP Patient Care Impact Program.

Purpose: Strategies proposed during a patient care impact program for implementing emergency department (ED) pharmacy services are described.

Summary: In June 2007, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists developed a patient care impact program entitled "Introducing an Emergency Department Pharmacist into Your Institution" to provide experiential training to practicing pharmacists seeking to establish ED services in their institutions. Under the guidance of four mentors, 19 pharmacists from a variety of practice settings, including community-based hospitals and academic and tertiary-care-based institutions, were selected for participation the six-month program.

Computerized physician order entry- based hyperglycemia inpatient protocol and glycemic outcomes: The CPOE-HIP study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of implementing a computerized physician order entry (CPOE)-based hyperglycemia inpatient protocol (HIP) on glycemic outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study compared blood glucose values, hemoglobin A(1c) values, diabetes medication profles, and demographic data of diabetic patients admitted to medicine services between March 15, 2006, and April 11, 2006 (before CPOE-HIP protocol was adopted), with data of diabetic patients admitted between October 3, 2007, and October 30, 2007 (1 year after CPOE-HIP protocol was implemented).

Results: A total of 241 diabetic patients comprised the pre-CPOE-HIP group and 197 patients comprised the post-CPOE-HIP group.