Enoxaparin is a hydrophilic drug with obesity having little effect on its apparent volume of distribution, therefore patients with obesity receiving standard 1 mg/kg dosing may be at a higher risk of supratherapeutic dosing. Conversely, dose reducing patients with obesity could place already at risk patients at higher risk of a thrombotic event. Data and recommendations are variable for the most appropriate weight-based dose of therapeutic enoxaparin in obese patients, particularly those a weight > 100 kg or a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreakthrough seizures and status epilepticus require urgent management. Administration of intravenous push (IVP) levetiracetam has been demonstrated to be safe as compared to intravenous piggyback (IVPB). This transition can potentially offer faster time to administration and reduced drug and material cost.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Crit Care Med (Targu Mures)
July 2021
Background: The 2018 Society of Critical Care Medicine guidelines on the "Prevention and Management of Pain, Agitation/Sedation, Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption in Adult Patients in the ICU" advocate for protocol-based analgosedation practices. There are limited data available to guide which analgesic to use. This study compares outcomes in patients who received continuous infusions of fentanyl or hydromorphone as sedative agents in the intensive care setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Nearly half of intensive care unit (ICU) patients will develop delirium. Antipsychotics are used routinely for the management of ICU delirium despite limited reliable data supporting this approach. The unwarranted continuation of antipsychotics initiated for ICU delirium is an emerging transitions of care concern, especially considering the adverse event profile of these agents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In response to the devastating effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, several vaccine prototypes have been developed, with the Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2) platform being the first to receive emergency use authorization. Although taken to market on an unprecedented timeline, the safety profile of the drug during clinical trials was shown to be favorable. Shortly after release, reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrated a higher-than-average rate of anaphylaxis to the vaccine that has been the cause for concern for safety officials and the general public alike.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhat Is Known And Objective: Sevelamer is an insoluble polymer indicated for the management of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The package inserts for both tablet formulations recommend the tablets be administered whole. Due to whole tablets being sometimes inadvertently crushed and the significantly increased cost of sevelamer packets, we evaluated the safety and feasibility of crushed sevelamer tablets for enteral feeding tube administration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently develops during critical illness. In septic shock complicated by rapid AF, the use of phenylephrine may be advantageous secondary to its β-1 sparing properties. However, evidence supporting this strategy is lacking.
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