Edaravone Oral Suspension: A Neuroprotective Agent to Treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by loss of motor neurons due to degeneration of nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. Early symptoms include limb weakness, twitching or muscle cramping, and slurred speech. As the disease progresses, difficulty breathing, swallowing, and paralysis can lead to death.

Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy-Current and Future Therapies.

Objective: To describe the clinical presentation of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) and discuss current treatments and investigational products and their effect on patient outcomes.

Data Sources: A literature search was performed in PubMed (September 2018 to December 2020) using the following keywords: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and .

Study Selection And Data Extraction: Clinical trials were evaluated for evidence supporting pharmacology, safety, efficacy, and measured outcomes.

Vancomycin Dosing in Obese Patients: Special Considerations and Novel Dosing Strategies.

Objective: To review the literature regarding vancomycin pharmacokinetics in obese patients and strategies used to improve dosing in this population.

Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE (1974 to November 2017), and Google Scholar searches were conducted using the search terms vancomycin, obese, obesity, pharmacokinetics, strategy, and dosing. Additional articles were selected from reference lists of selected studies.

Incorporating the American Pharmacists Association's Delivering Medication Therapy Management services certificate program into an accelerated pharmacy curriculum.

Background And Purpose: To describe the incorporation of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Delivering Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Services program into a PharmD curriculum and to describe student perceptions of the program.

Educational Activity And Setting: The program was delivered over 12 months to students on two campuses via two didactic courses in the second professional year and during the first two advanced pharmacy practice experiences in the third professional year of an accelerated school of pharmacy program.

Findings: Student perceptions were assessed by review of responses to the APhA MTM program evaluation survey.

The Surgical Skills and Technology Elective Program (SSTEP): A comprehensive simulation-based surgical skills initiative for preclerkship medical students.

Background: The Surgical Skills and Technology Elective Program (SSTEP) is a voluntary preclerkship surgical bootcamp that uses simulation learning to build procedural knowledge and technical skills before clerkship.

Methods: Eighteen second year students (n = 18) participated in simulation workshops over the course of 7 days to learn clerkship-level procedural skills. A manual was supplied with the program outline.

Oritavancin: A Novel Lipoglycopeptide.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, microbiologic profile, dosage and administration, safety, clinical efficacy, and potential place in therapy for the new lipoglycopetide, oritavancin.

Data Sources: MEDLINE and PubMed searches of available literature in English were conducted for oritavancin. Principal supplementary sources include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) package insert, and FDA/European Medicines Agency guidances on acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI).

Leveraging mobile smart devices to improve interprofessional communications in inpatient practice setting: A literature review.

As mobile smart device use has increased in society, the healthcare community has begun using these devices for communication among professionals in practice settings. The purpose of this review is to describe primary literature which reports on the experiences with interprofessional healthcare communication via mobile smart devices. Based on these findings, this review also addresses how these devices may be utilized to facilitate interprofessional education (IPE) in health professions education programs.

A Novel Structured Format for Engaging Pharmacy Students in Bioethics Discussions.

Objective: To describe an active, structured ethics/professionalism discussion format developed for an elective course titled Ethics and Professionalism in Pharmacy.

Design: The format uses the acronym ETHICS (Evaluate, Teach, Hear, Interview, Concede, Self-reflect). Before class, students evaluated (Evaluate) literature pertaining to ethics/professionalism topics.

Daptomycin use in pediatric patients.

Purpose: Currently available evidence on the use of daptomycin in pediatric patients is reviewed and evaluated.

Summary: Although guidelines on the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections recommend daptomycin for use in pediatric patients, that recommendation is primarily based on expert opinion. A literature search for articles on pediatric daptomycin use identified three pharmacokinetic studies, three case reports, and one retrospective review.

Comparison of human adipose-derived stem cells isolated from subcutaneous, omental, and intrathoracic adipose tissue depots for regenerative applications.

Adipose tissue is an abundant source of multipotent progenitor cells that have shown promise in regenerative medicine. In humans, fat is primarily distributed in the subcutaneous and visceral depots, which have varying biochemical and functional properties. In most studies to date, subcutaneous adipose tissue has been investigated as the adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) source.

Use of daptomycin to treat infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates having vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations of 1.5 to 2 μg/mL.

Objective: To evaluate daptomycin use for the treatment of infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates having vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1.5 to 2 µg/mL.

Data Sources: The literature was retrieved through PubMed and EMBASE (January 2006 to August 2013).

Left-sided sigmoid diverticulitis presenting as right-sided thigh abscess.

Acquired diverticular disease of the colon is very common in the North American population. Atypical presentations are usually due to complications and rarely the predominant complaint may be related to an associated fistula. Thigh abscesses due to colocutaneous fistula represent an uncommon complication of sigmoid diverticulitis.

Inhaled aztreonam lysine for cystic fibrosis pulmonary disease-related outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of aztreonam lysine for inhalation (AZLI) for cystic fibrosis (CF)-related signs and symptoms of pulmonary disease.

Data Sources: Literature was searched in MEDLINE through PubMed and cross-referenced with EMBASE (1980-June 2012). The key search terms used were aztreonam lysine, nebulized, inhaled, and cystic fibrosis.

Chronic pain, healthcare utilization, and quality of life following gastrointestinal surgery.

Objectives: Our aim in this pilot study was to identify potential predictors of chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) and other outcomes to consider for inclusion in future prospective studies of CPSP following abdominal gastrointestinal surgery.

Methods: We followed 76 surgical patients during this prospective single-centre cohort study. Pain characteristics, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and healthcare utilization were assessed preoperatively, at six weeks postoperatively, and at six months postoperatively.

Boceprevir: a protease inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, and efficacy of boceprevir, a novel oral hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural 3 (NS3) protease inhibitor for the treatment of chronic HCV infection, specifically, genotype 1.

Data Sources: A literature search was conducted through MEDLINE and EMBASE (1966-May 2011) using the terms boceprevir and SCH 503034. Data from the package insert, abstracts obtained from conferences, and unpublished Phase 2-3 clinical trials, obtained through clinicaltrials.

Tigecycline for the treatment of severe Clostridium difficile infection.

Objective: To evaluate the evidence for the use of tigecycline in the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

Data Sources: Searches were performed (2004 to June 2011), using the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases, with the terms tigecycline, Tygacil, Clostridium difficile, C. difficile, Clostridium difficile infection, and CDI.

Vigabatrin for infantile spasms.

Infantile spasms describe a pediatric epilepsy syndrome characterized by frequent clusters of brief symmetric muscle contractions; the condition is often associated with developmental delay. When infantile spasms are accompanied by hypsarrhythmia on electroencephalogram, the condition is labeled West syndrome. The mainstay of treatment for infantile spasms is adrenocorticotropic hormone; however, vigabatrin, a vinyl derivative of γ-aminobutyric acid, has been used for the treatment of infantile spasms in Europe since 1989.

An electronic NAPLEX review program for longitudinal assessment of pharmacy students' knowledge.

Objectives: To track pharmacy student knowledge over time using a proprietary software program in an accelerated program for curricular assessment.

Methods: All students were required to complete a computerized comprehensive diagnostic examination 3 times during the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program: at the beginning of the second year, and near the end of the second and third years. The examination was comprised of 100 questions in 3 content areas: pharmacotherapy, preparation and dispensing of medications, and providing health care information.

Apricitabine: a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for HIV infection.

Objective: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of apricitabine, a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that is currently under investigation and has fast-track approval status with the Food and Drug Administration.

Data Sources: A literature search was conducted using PubMed (1966-June 2009) to retrieve relevant material using the search terms apricitabine, SPD754, and AVX754. References from selected articles were evaluated to identify other pertinent trials.

Excretion of antimicrobials used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections during lactation: safety in breastfeeding infants.

Community-acquired strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have become a common cause of skin and soft tissue infections in the United States. These infections sometimes require treatment with antibiotics, and with the increasing resistance of pathogens to these agents, choosing the appropriate drug can be difficult. In lactating women who develop these infections, selecting an antibiotic is even more challenging, as clinicians need to be aware of risks to the infant from the drug excreted during lactation.

Elevated creatine phosphokinase levels associated with linezolid therapy.

Purpose: A case of elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels associated with linezolid therapy in a patient on chronic antihyperlipidemic therapy is presented.

Summary: A 79-year-old Caucasian man with a primary diagnosis of acute hemoptysis secondary to pneumonia was admitted to the medical-surgical intensive care unit. A chest radiograph showed a large, right, lower-lobe infiltrate with alveolar consolidation.

Meta-analysis of drug-induced adverse events associated with intensive-dose statin therapy.

Background: Randomized trials evaluating intensive dose statin therapy have found enhanced protection against cardiovascular (CV) events compared with moderate-dose statin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or stable coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the potential for an increase in the risk of drug-induced adverse events with such therapy has not been quantified.

Objective: This meta-analysis was performed to compare the incremental risks associated with intensive- and moderate-dose statin therapy.

A better lifestyle during surgical clerkship may not increase application rates to general surgery.

Background: Lifestyle has been identified by numerous studies as the number one deterrent to pursuing a career in general surgery. This study tests the hypothesis that a better lifestyle during general surgery clerkship correlates with a higher application rate to general surgery.

Methods: Canadian Residency Matching Service data from the past 10 years were used to identify institution-specific application rates to general surgery.