A pharmacokinetics module taught within a pediatrics pharmacotherapy course.

Objective: To review the effectiveness of a pedagogical approach and methods used to teach pediatric pharmacokinetics to a large class of pharmacy students in a required course in the third-year of a bachelor of science in pharmacy program.

Design: The pharmacokinetic sessions emphasized facilitating student understanding of the basic pharmacokinetic principles learned in earlier courses and applying that knowledge to pediatric case scenarios. This was accomplished using lectures with PowerPoint slides followed by small-group, context-focused discussions that required students to apply the principles outlined in the lecture.

Monitoring of serum prolactin in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis who are receiving domperidone.

Background: Since 2003, it has been routine practice at Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia to monitor serum levels of prolactin in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis who are receiving domperidone. Although a pharmacologic relationship between domperidone and prolactin has been documented in the literature, there is no information about routine monitoring of prolactin, and guidance on interpretation of prolactin values is lacking.

Objectives: To characterize how prolactin levels were being used in monitoring patients with cystic fibrosis who were receiving domperidone therapy at this institution, to evaluate the need for this practice, and to formulate recommendations accordingly.

Behavioral and cardiophysiological responses of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to confrontations with opposite-sexed strangers.

Common marmosets exhibit under captive conditions socially monogamous propensities. During confrontation with opposite-sexed stranger, in the presence of the pairmate, common marmosets often respond aggressively. However, in the absence of their mates, males actively solicit contact and even sexual interactions with strange females whereas mated females are indifferent to strange males.

Behavioral and cardiophysiological responses of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to social and environmental changes.

Under captive conditions common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) show socially monogamous propensities. Male and female form a social bond as characterized by signs of behavioral arousal during separation of the pairmates, high levels of affiliative interactions between pairmates and agonistic responses towards strange conspecifics. In the present study behavioral and cardiophysiological responses of mated individuals of common marmosets were recorded while the animals were in an unfamiliar environment (1) alone, (2) with the pairmate, or (3) with an opposite-sexed stranger.