Evaluation of a Pharmacist-Driven Ambulatory Aspirin Deprescribing Protocol.

Background: Recent guidelines indicate that aspirin affords less cardiovascular protection and greater bleeding risks in adults aged > 70 years. Deprescribing potentially inappropriate medications is particularly important in older adults, as this population experiences a high risk of adverse effects and polypharmacy. Limited data are available regarding targeted aspirin deprescribing approaches by pharmacists.

Assessment of a two-school collaborative telepharmacy simulation.

Background And Purpose: The objectives of this study were to implement and assess a telepharmacy simulation for third-year students at two universities.

Educational Activity And Setting: Using telepharmacy, students completed a prescription verification activity and a patient counseling activity. Students completed surveys at baseline and after both activities.

Efficacy and Safety of Probiotics and Synbiotics in Liver Transplantation.

This article summarizes available literature regarding the utilization of probiotic and synbiotics in liver transplant (LTX) recipients, reviewing efficacy in both decreasing infectious complications and immunomodulation, as well as exploring safety concerns. Data suggest that the use of probiotics containing Lactobacillus spp, either alone or in combination with prebiotics (referred to as synbiotics), may be effective in reducing infectious complications after LTX, a major contributor to graft loss, hospital length of stay, and mortality. Literature evaluating the use of probiotics to induce tolerance, reduce rejection, and prevent damage associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury is limited to animal models but compelling, as it suggests the use of probiotics may augment deleterious immune-mediated processes in this population.

Impact of High-Dose Acyclovir Cytomegalovirus Prophylaxis Failure in Abdominal Solid Organ Transplant Recipients.

Study Objective: To evaluate the clinical course and long-term impact of high-dose acyclovir (HD-A, 800 mg 4 times/day) cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis failure in a CMV-seropositive abdominal solid organ transplant population.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary academic medical center.

Acute airway obstruction due to ruptured aneurysmal arterio-venous fistula: common carotid artery to internal jugular vein.

Fistulae between major vessels in the head and neck are uncommon. In both civilian and wartime reports, the total number of traumatic arterio-venous fistulae in head and neck region account for less than four per cent of all arterial injuries. Fourteen cases of congenital communication between the external carotid artery and external or internal jugular vein have been reported.