A study guide to aid students preparing for the general and ocular pharmacology areas of the basic sciences test administered by the National Board of Examiners in optometry

For many optometry students across the nation, much systemic and ocular pharmacology is not presented in their school\u27s curriculum until after they have taken the Basic Sciences Test of the National Board Exam. The Pharmacology sections of the popular study guides in use today have been described by most students as overwhelming and confusing. This guide follows the outline of the Candidate Guide to provide a clear, concise study aid of drug groupings, drug uses, mechanisms of action, possible adverse reactions, contraindications and precautions, and the primary drug of treatment for specific conditions and alternate drugs for use when the primary drug is contraindicated

Pharmacology

Material of the textbook is given according to the Training Programme in Pharmacology and Medical Prescription. Questions of general and special pharmacology are described at the up to date level. The textbook contains mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, indications and contraindications for clinical use, and side effects of main groups of pharmacological drugs. The main attention is paid to data having fundamental meaning for training future doctors. For students of higher medical educational institutions of the IV level of accreditation

Cardiac Arrhythmias

Cardiac arrhythmias are common triggers of emergency admission to cardiology or high-dependency departments. Most cases are easy to diagnose and treat, while others may present a challenge to healthcare professionals. A translational approach to arrhythmias links molecular and cellular scientific research with clinical diagnostics and therapeutic methods, which may include both pharmacological and non-pharmacologic treatments. This book presents a comprehensive overview of specific cardiac arrhythmias and discusses translational approaches to their diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis practice parameter: 2010 Update

These parameters were developed by the Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters, representing the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI); the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI); and the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The AAAAI and the ACAAI have jointly accepted responsibility for establishing “The Diagnosis and Management of Anaphylaxis Practice Parameter: 2010 Update.” This is a complete and comprehensive document at the current time. The medical environment is a changing environment, and not all recommendations will be appropriate for all patients. Because this document incorporated the efforts of many participants, no single individual, including those who served on the Joint Task Force, is authorized to provide an official AAAAI or ACAAI interpretation of these practice parameters. Any request for information about or an interpretation of these practice parameters by the AAAAI or ACAAI should be directed to the Executive Offices of the AAAAI, the ACAAI, or the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. These parameters are not designed for use by pharmaceutical companies in drug promotion

Advances in Electrocardiograms

Electrocardiograms have become one of the most important, and widely used medical tools for diagnosing diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias, conduction disorders, electrolyte imbalances, hypertension, coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. This book reviews recent advancements in electrocardiography. The four sections of this volume, Cardiac Arrhythmias, Myocardial Infarction, Autonomic Dysregulation and Cardiotoxicology, provide comprehensive reviews of advancements in the clinical applications of electrocardiograms. This book is replete with diagrams, recordings, flow diagrams and algorithms which demonstrate the possible future direction for applying electrocardiography to evaluating the development and progression of cardiac diseases. The chapters in this book describe a number of unique features of electrocardiograms in adult and pediatric patient populations with predilections for cardiac arrhythmias and other electrical abnormalities associated with hypertension, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, sleep apnea syndromes, pericarditides, cardiomyopathies and cardiotoxicities, as well as innovative interpretations of electrocardiograms during exercise testing and electrical pacing

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Performance and Perceptions: Use of a Handheld, Computerized, Decision Making Aid During Critical Events in a High-fidelity Human Simulation Environment

With the increasing focus on patient safety and human error, understanding how practitioners make decisions during critical incidents is important. Despite the move towards evidence-based practice, research shows that much decision making is based on intuition and heuristics (“rules of thumb”). The purpose of this study was to examine and evaluate the methodologic feasibility of a strategy for comparing traditional cognition versus the use of algorithms programmed on a personal digital assistant (FDA) in the management of unanticipated critical events by certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). A combined qualitative-quantitative methodology was utilized. The quantitative element consists of a pilot study using a cross-over trial design. Two case scenarios were carried out in a full-scale, high fidelity, simulated anesthesia care delivery environment. Four subjects participated in both scenarios, one without and one with a PDA containing a catalog of approximately 30 events with diagnostic and treatment related information in second scenario. Audio—videotaping of the scenarios allowed for definitive descriptive analysis of items of interest, including time to correct diagnosis and definitive intervention. The qualitative approach consisted of a phenomenological investigation of problem solving and perceptions of FDA use and the simulation experience by the participants using “think aloud” and retrospective verbal reports, semi-structured group interviews, and written evaluations. Qualitative results revealed that participants found the PDA algorithms useful despite some minor technical difficulties and the simulated environment and case scenarios realistic, but also described feelings of expectation, anxiety, and pressure. Problem solving occurred in a hypothetico-deductive manner. More hypotheses were considered when using the PDA. Time to correct diagnosis and treatment varied by scenario, taking less time with the PDA for one but taking longer with the PDA for the other, likely due to differences in pace and intensity of the two scenarios. The methodologic investigation revealed several areas for improvement including more precise control of case scenarios. All participants agreed with the value of using high fidelity simulation, particularly for problem solving of critical events, and provided useful information for more effective utilization of this tool for education and research

Atrial fibrillation: a study of substrate and triggers

1. Introduction2. History and Overview of Atrial Fibrillation3. A New Fully Implantable Goat Model of Atrial Fibrillation4. The Profibdilatory Action of Verapamil is Not Prevented by Propafenone5. Repetitive Four-Week Periods of Atrial Electrical Remodelling Promote Stability of Atrial Fibrillation -Evidence for a Second Factor Independent of Atrial Refractoriness in the Self-Perpetuation of Atrial Fibrillation6. Atrial Ectopy - The Coupling Interval of Atrial Premature Beats Following DC Cardioversion of Persistent AF Predicts Subsequent Recurrence of AF7. Atrial Ectopy -Evidence for Reversal of Atrial Electrical Remodelling8. Prevalence and Significance of Focal Sources of Atrial Arrhythmia in Patients Undergoing Cardioversion of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation9. Changes in Heart Rate Variability Following Cardioversion of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation in Ma