The effect of the anticholinergic burden on duration and severity of delirium in older hip-surgery patients with and without haloperidol prophylaxis: A post hoc analysis.

Background: Anticholinergic acting drugs have been associated with delirium in older patients.

Objective: To examine the association between the anticholinergic burden (ACB) and the duration and severity of delirium in older hip-surgery patients with or without haloperidol prophylaxis.

Methods: Older patients with a postoperative delirium following hip surgery from a randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of haloperidol prophylaxis on delirium incidence were included in this study.

[Serotin syndrome; literature overview and Lareb pharmacovigilance reports].

Serotonin syndrome is a medication-induced clinical syndrome, caused by an increased concentration of serotonin in the central and peripheral nervous system. An excess of serotonin can be caused by the use of one or more serotinergic substances on the one hand, or by decreased clearance of these substances on the other hand We carried out a systematic literature search to make an estimation of substances and patient-related factors that might be associated with an increased risk of serotonin syndrome. We also carried out a search for all reports of serotonin syndrome in the Lareb (Netherlands pharmacovigilance centre) database.

[Analysis of the intoxicated patient: pitfalls].

A 39-year-old man was admitted to the ICU after having taken 96 tablets of 500 mg acetylsalicylic acid. Although a high plasma concentration (1040 mg/l) was found, underestimation and misinterpretation of clinical signs and symptoms with decreasing salicylate plasma concentrations led to haemodialysis being postponed. One day after admission the patient suddenly died of cardiovascular collapse due to severe salicylate toxicity.