Correlation Between mMINDS and CIWA-Ar Scoring Tools in Patients With Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome.

Background: Many alcohol withdrawal scoring tools are used in hospitalized patients to assess the severity of alcohol withdrawal and guide treatment. The revised Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA-Ar) and the modified Minnesota Detoxification Scale (mMINDS) are commonly used but have never been correlated.

Objective: To determine the strength of correlation between the CIWA-Ar and mMINDS scoring tools in patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Intravenous Lipid Emulsion for Management of Systemic Toxic Effects of Drugs.

The incidence of toxic effects of drugs leading to emergency department visits has increased in the United States in the past several years. Most of these patients can be adequately managed by supportive care alone. However, pharmacological antidotes may be necessary, particularly in patients with hemodynamic instability.

A Clinic Model: Post-Intensive Care Syndrome and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome-Family.

The number of patients surviving critical illness in the United States has increased with advancements in medicine. Post-intensive care syndrome and post-intensive care syndrome-family are terms developed by the Society of Critical Care Medicine in order to address the cognitive, psychological, and physical sequelae emerging in patients and their families after discharge from the intensive care unit. In the United Kingdom and Europe, intensive care unit follow-up clinics have been used to address the complications of post-intensive care syndrome for some time.

Cost-avoidance and qualitative analysis of clinical pharmacy interventions by psychiatric pharmacy residents at state psychiatric facilities.

Purpose: The cost avoidance and quality of clinical interventions made by postgraduate year 2 (PGY2) psychiatric pharmacy residents are analyzed.

Methods: A retrospective database review of clinical interventions made by PGY2 psychiatric pharmacy residents in two state psychiatric facilities from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2014, was conducted using a clinical intervention documentation software system. Cost avoidance was calculated by multiplying the mean cost of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) by the probability of an ADR occurring had the intervention not occurred.

Improvements in a program to convert i.v. to oral medications at an academic medical center.

Purpose: Results of a study to implement targeted interventions to increase the number of documented i.v.-to-oral conversions and to increase cost savings from these documented conversions are reported.

Achieving blood pressure control among renal transplant recipients by integrating electronic health technology and clinical pharmacy services.

Purpose: The implementation and outcomes of a program combining electronic home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services in a renal transplantation clinic are described.

Summary: Patients enrolled in the program were provided with a computer-enabled blood pressure monitor. A dedicated renal transplantation pharmacist was integrated into the renal transplantation team under a collaborative care practice agreement.

Major publications in the critical care pharmacotherapy literature: January-December 2014.

Purpose: Nine recently published articles and one guideline with important implications for critical care pharmacy practice are summarized.

Summary: The Critical Care Pharmacotherapy Literature Update (CCPLU) group includes more than 40 experienced critical care pharmacists across the United States. Group members monitor 29 peer-reviewed journals on an ongoing basis to identify literature relevant to pharmacy practice in the critical care setting.

Development of a pharmacist-driven protocol for automatic medication dosage adjustments in obese patients.

Purpose: A hospital protocol utilizing automatic dosage adjustments and pharmacist consultations to optimize the use of certain medications in obese patients is described.

Summary: After conducting a literature search focused on medication dosing in obese patients, pharmacists at a large community hospital developed a list of commonly ordered medications appropriate for inclusion in a pharmacy-driven institutional protocol for automatic medication dosage adjustment in adult patients with obesity. Evidence-based recommendations on initial dosing of eight antimicrobials and two anticoagulant agents according to weight and renal function were formulated.

Pathophysiology, assessment, and management of pain in critically ill adults.

Purpose: The pathophysiology of pain in critically ill patients, the role of pain assessment in optimal pain management, and pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies for pain prevention and treatment are reviewed.

Summary: There are many short- and long-term consequences of inadequately treated pain, including hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, an increased risk of infection, decreased patient comfort and satisfaction, and the development of chronic pain. Clinicians should have an understanding of the basic physiology of pain and the patient populations that are affected.

Significant publications on infectious diseases pharmacotherapy in 2014.

Purpose: The most important articles on infectious diseases (ID) pharmacotherapy published in the peer-reviewed literature in 2014, as nominated and selected by panels of pharmacists and others with ID expertise, are summarized.

Summary: Members of the Houston Infectious Diseases Network were asked to nominate articles published in 2014 from prominent peer-reviewed journals that were felt to have a major impact in the field of ID pharmacotherapy. A list of 19 nominated articles on general ID-related topics and 9 articles specifically related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was compiled.

Medication management for left ventricular assist device thrombosis.

Purpose: Current strategies for prevention and treatment of "pump thrombosis" associated with the use of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are discussed.

Summary: LVADs provide morbidity, mortality, and quality-of-life benefits in patients with advanced heart failure. Since continuous-flow LVADs came into wide use, there have been increased reports of pump thrombosis (clot formation in the LVAD system that can lead to pump dysfunction and clinical complications).

Implementation of a diuretic stewardship program in a pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit to reduce medication expenditures.

Purpose: The implementation of a diuretic stewardship program in a pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit (ICU) is described.

Methods: This retrospective study compared the use of i.v.

A three-year study of a first-generation chemotherapy-compounding robot.

Purpose: Results of a performance evaluation of an automated system for compounding antineoplastic preparations are reported.

Methods: Three years after the pharmacy department of a hospital in Saudi Arabia installed an i.v.

Indomethacin for treatment of refractory intracranial hypertension secondary to acute liver failure.

Purpose: Successful use of i.v. indomethacin for urgent management of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) due to acute liver failure is reported.