Special Considerations in Pediatric Burn Patients Regarding Drug Dosage and Administration

Pediatric burn patients are a high-risk patient population to treat. These patients have altered physiologic function as a result of the burn injury, in addition to their smaller size and developing bodies. This creates unique challenges during treatment. Accommodations for these patients are made through unique drug dosages and routes of administration. When treating pediatric burn patients, properly assessing and treating pain promptly and effectively is of utmost importance. Nurses who utilize accurate and appropriate pain assessment scales will provide the best treatment of pain. Proper assessment allows the patient to receive the correct analgesic regime, ensuring a faster and more comfortable recovery process

Marijuana and Its Cardiovascular Implications

As marijuana becomes legalized for medical use, it is important for prescribers and pharmacists to be knowledgeable about the important aspects of marijuana such as mechanism of action, indications and abuse potential. Although marijuana\u27s medicinal benefits are frequently reported, the risks, namely cardiovascular risks, associated with its utilization are often overlooked. Use of marijuana has been reported to increase the risk of myocardial infarction, tachycardia and hypotension, among others. Health care providers must determine if marijuana\u27s benefits outweigh such risks when marijuana therapy is an option. It is also important for pharmacists to understand how to successfully counsel patients using medical marijuana so that the patient has an effective course of therapy

Combating Antibiotic Resistance in the 21st Century

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most significant challenges facing the medical community today. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a list of the greatest antibiotic resistance threats, a number of which are gram-positive bacteria. The cell wall of these organisms has long been a favored target of antibiotic therapies, but the development of numerous resistance mechanisms has led to widespread resistance against nearly all major antibiotic compounds on the market. The medical community is faced with the task of developing better antibiotic compounds that preclude the spread of bacterial resistance and also increasing the screening of natural antimicrobials from organisms not readily cultured in the laboratory. The iChip is a novel in situ cultivation device that allows researchers to grow cultures of bacterial species that could not otherwise be cultured in a laboratory setting. This technology has already led to the discovery of several promising novel antimicrobial compounds, including teixobactin. This depsipeptide has excellent activity in vitro against gram-positive organisms including Clostridium difficille, Bacillus anthracis, Enterococcus strains (including vancomycin resistant enterococci), Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus. Pharmacists have a significant impact in the education of patients receiving antibiotic therapy about the issue of drug resistance and how alternative courses of treatment may be needed if antibiotic therapy is unsuccessful

Emergency Contraception: A Comparison of Levonorgestrel and Ulipristal Acetate

Emergency contraceptives (EC) are a birth control method that is available to minimize unintended pregnancies that might result from unprotected intercourse. Several products are on the market and largely contain levonorgestrel as the active component, including Plan B One-Step®, Next Choice®, Next Choice One Dose™ and My Way®. These are labeled as effective up to 72 hours after intercourse and are available without a prescription. Another product, Ella™, contains ulipristal acetate and can be effective up to 120 hours after intercourse, but does require a prescription. Legislative issues have surrounded these products. At this point in time only Plan B One-Step® is available to anyone of any gender or age without a prescription. Ulipristal acetate has been shown to be more efficacious in reducing pregnancies than the levonorgestrel most likely due to its effects later in the ovulatory cycle. All of these products have similar side effects and none of them will terminate an existing pregnancy. Cost issues may influence an individual\u27s choice to use these products. A pharmacist can aid in counseling on the appropriate selection of a product, timing of administration and methods for preventive birth control for the future

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Targeted Review for Pharmacists

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a disease that impacts drug-exposed infants and describes an array of issues that arise in newborns just hours after birth. Patient presentation and disease symptomatology vary widely based upon the specific substance utilized by the mother while pregnant and duration of exposure. Treatment is dependent on which symptoms are present and, assuming an opioid-derived abstinence syndrome, is based primarily on opioid supplementation to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Treatment of non-opioid derived abstinence syndrome is often slightly more complex and involves the use of different agents depending on the drug of exposure. Due to the intricate nature of treating NAS, a team of health care professionals, including a pharmacist, should oversee management of the disease state. Pharmacists in both the inpatient and outpatient settings are in important locations to prevent and/or positively impact the outcomes for NAS