Journal of Pharmacy Practice

Purpose: The Joint Commission standards for titrated infusions require specification of maximum rates of infusion. This practice has led to the development of protocolized maximum doses that can be overridden by provider order ("soft maximums") and to dose caps that cannot be superseded ("hard maximums"). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of and attitudes towards dose capping of norepinephrine. Methods: A 20-item cross-sectional survey assessing norepinephrine dose capping practices, perceptions of norepinephrine protocols, and respondent and practice site demographics was distributed electronically to the mailing list of an international medical podcast...

Background: Four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC) is indicated for vitamin K antagonist (VKA) reversal but is associated with thrombotic events (TE). In 2018, the institution revised 4F-PCC dosing for VKA reversal from INR and weight-based dosing to a fixed-dose of 1500 units. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare hemostatic efficacy and TE rate of fixed-dose 4PCC to weight-based dosing. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, quasi-experimental study of adult patients who received 4F-PCC for VKA reversal from January 2014 through May 2016 (INR and weight-based dosing) or April through October 2018 (fixed-dosing)...

There has been concern over whether to use sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors in patients that use catheters due to the concern for increased urinary tract infections (UTIs). The concern is that patients who use catheters are already at an increased risk for UTIs and that SGLT-2-inhibitors may promote bacterial growth due their mechanism of action, ie. increasing glycosuria. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether using empagliflozin, a SGLT-2-inhibitor, in patients who also use catheters, increases their risks for UTIs...

Background: Variceal hemorrhage treatment includes endoscopy within 12 hours of admission and octreotide therapy for 2-5 days post-endoscopy. Duration of pre-endoscopy octreotide can be prolonged when intervention is delayed. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of extended pre-endoscopy octreotide on rebleeding after endoscopy when comparing short vs long durations of post-endoscopy octreotide. Methods: This was a single center, retrospective cohort evaluating adult cirrhotic patients with esophageal variceal hemorrhage admitted between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2020...

Hydroxychloroquine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug commonly used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Although rare, hydroxychloroquine is associated with hypoglycemia in patients with or without diabetes due to its ability to alter insulin metabolism. There have been several cases described in the literature, but none of which, to our knowledge, detail follow-up and time to resolution of hypoglycemia. We describe a 55-year-old female who presents for episodes of hypoglycemia. She reported hypoglycemic symptoms and fasting blood glucoses in the 60-70s mg/dL regularly...

Patients are sometimes mislabeled as having an immune-mediated antibiotic allergy in their medical records. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of subjects with non-immune mediated reactions to antibiotics using a standardized questionnaire. Subjects aged 18 years and older with a documented antibiotic allergy were identified and recruited from 2 outpatient clinics in the greater Chicago area. Subjects completed a standardized questionnaire during a single visit regarding their previous adverse reaction to an antibiotic...

Background: Recent epidemiological data has shown a sharp increase in stimulant use among older adults, which is notable as older adults may be especially vulnerable to their cardiovascular effects. Results of recent studies have shown an increase in cardiovascular events among older adults using stimulants; however, little data exists comparing cardiovascular safety of these agents head-to-head. Objective: To determine if the incidence of serious cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction (MI), stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), or arrhythmia, are different in patients taking amphetamine/dextroamphetamine compared with patients taking methylphenidate...

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with subcutaneous unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin is a common practice in hospitalized patients. Typically, prophylactic doses of these medications have poor bioavailability and thus do not reach therapeutic serum concentrations. However, in certain circumstances, heparin binding proteins may become saturated. Here we report a case series of 5 patients who had elevated anti-Xa levels while receiving prophylactic dosing of subcutaneous unfractionated heparin...

Background: The conventional dose of 10 units of intravenous (IV) regular insulin to treat hyperkalemia has been associated with hypoglycemia. There have been retrospective studies evaluating weight-based dose vs conventional dose of IV regular insulin but the comparative efficacy and safety is not well established. Objective : Evaluate the difference in weight-based dosing of IV regular insulin between patients who experienced hypoglycemia vs. patients who did not experience hypoglycemia after the administration of IV regular insulin...

Background: Early neuromuscular blockade with cisatracurium has been associated with improved outcomes in moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Previous studies have demonstrated increased drug utilization without benefits in oxygenation using fixed dose cisatracurium compared to train-of-four (TOF) titration. Objective: We sought to compare a novel, lower fixed dose cisatracurium protocol to TOF titration evaluating the impact on PaO2:FiO2 ratio (P/F). Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study comparing fixed dose cisatracurium to TOF titration...

INTRODUCTION: Until recently, interest in renal function has focused on impairment to limit drug toxicity and increase medication safety. Augmented renal clearance (ARC) has been increasingly studied in multiple patient populations, including oncology, and could lead to decreased drug efficacy from faster elimination resulting in subtherapeutic concentrations. This scoping review sought to summarize ARC literature in cancer and identify areas of research to better inform pharmacy practitioners...

PURPOSE: Telemedicine has been essential during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In March 2020, pharmacist-led chronic disease state management services at our family care centers and primary care clinics were converted to telemedicine. This study aimed to determine the impact of expanding telemedicine services on appointment adherence, clinical outcomes, and financial reimbursement. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective, quasi-experimental study of the impact of expanding telemedicine services on adult patients with diabetes, hypertension, and/or hyperlipidemia...

Purpose: Prior literature evaluating the importance of timely second-dose antibiotics in patients with sepsis has led to better outcomes and a possible reduction in mortality, length of mechanical ventilation, and length of time requiring vasopressors. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a newly developed pharmacist-led two-dose cefepime protocol implemented within an emergency department (ED) service. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, pre-post observational cohort study. Institutional review board approval was obtained...

Background: Azithromycin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic included in many first-line regimens for pneumonia. Azithromycin also carries an FDA warning for increased risk for abnormal cardiac electrical activity, including QTc prolongation. Objective: To examine the effect of intravenous azithromycin on the QT interval in a cohort of patients receiving antibiotic therapy for community acquired pneumonia. Methods: A single-center, retrospective chart review of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)...

Background: Increased patient utilization of cannabidiol (CBD) leads to potential drug interactions with various medications and questions posed to pharmacists. Objective: To quantify the knowledge gap of pharmacists on CBD and CBD-containing products and assess the degree a continuing pharmacy education (CPE) program alters pharmacist confidence and competency on CBD knowledge. Methods: A 1-h CPE activity was offered as a home study from May 9, 2022, through September 30, 2022. Subjects were practicing pharmacy preceptors in Alabama who completed the pre-survey and post-survey for inclusion in matched-pair analyses...

Purpose: To report an incident of a breakthrough deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and potential example of a drug-drug interaction in a patient treated with edoxaban and rifabutin who was being treated for respiratory tuberculosis. Case: A 76-year-old male presented with anemia requiring transfusion and subsequent shortness of breath that was later diagnosed to be respiratory tuberculosis. He experienced a prolonged hospital stay due to persistently positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis respiratory samples and a complicated social situation that required continuous hospitalization for approximately five months...

Background: Cefazolin is guideline recommended for perioperative prophylaxis in orthopedic surgery. Despite its unique R1 side chain, cefazolin is often avoided in patients with beta-lactam allergy with concern for cross reactivity. Objectives: The primary outcome was the percentage of patients who received cefazolin perioperatively. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of patients with a beta-lactam allergy clarified following the telephone interview and clinical outcomes including acute kidney injury, surgical site infection, Clostridioides difficile infection, and re-admission at 30 and 90 days...

Schwartz Jampel syndrome (SJS) is a genetic disorder characterized by myotonia and chondrodysplasia. Mutations of the Perlecan gene (HSPG2), which encodes a key component of the extracellular matrix of muscle, bone, and cartilage is cause for the characteristic dysmorphisms of SJS. Clinically remarkable creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels are typical and can be associated with myotonia as an underlying cause in SJS patients. We report a unique case of a symptomatic adverse event of statin use in a SJS patient who demonstrated heightened levels of CPK to baseline following a statin induced myopathy...

Background: The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is responsible for a multitude of physiological functions, including immunological effects such as promotion of TGF-β and upregulation of IL-6 and IL-8 which are also implicated in the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD). Blockade of the RAAS pathway in pre-clinical models has demonstrated a decrease in these cytokines and pulmonary neutrophil recruitment. Objective: This study sought to evaluate whether use of RAAS inhibitor (RAASi) in lung transplant recipients impacted CLAD-free survival...

Background: The optimal method for implementing rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) into clinical practice has not been determined for gram-negative rod (GNR) bacteremia. At our institution, RDT was implemented in conjunction with real-time notification of results to decentralized clinical pharmacists. Objective: To determine the impact of RDT result notification plus real-time clinical pharmacist review on the management of GNR bacteremia. Methods: This retrospective, matched cohort study included patients with a positive blood culture for a GNR on the BIOFIRE® Blood Culture Identification 2 panel from September 2020 to August 2021 (historical) and October 2021 to September 2022 (interventional)...