In this episode, I’ll discuss which IM medication is the best first-line treatment for acute agitation in patients presenting to the emergency department. Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher The authors of a study published in October 2018 in Annals of Emergency Medicine compared 5 or 10 mg haloperidol, 10 mg olanzapine, 5 mg midazolam, […]

In this episode, I’ll discuss the 4 clinical teaching roles for residency preceptors. Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher The 4 teaching roles that ASHP wants PGY-1 residency preceptors to use are: 1. Instructing 2. Modeling 3. Coaching 4. Facilitating ASHP expects that PGY-1 residency preceptors have a working knowledge of these roles. During a […]

Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher In this episode, I’ll discuss an alternative scoring system for predicting the risk of augmented renal clearance. Augmented renal clearance is a phenomenon in some critically ill patients whereby their kidney function becomes supranormal. Standard antibiotic doses are often inadequate in the setting of ARC. The most accurate scoring […]

In this episode I’ll: 1. Discuss an article about the safety of high-dose IV labetalol 2. Answer the drug information question “Why is oral ketorolac restricted to patients that are continuing a 5-day course that started as parenteral therapy?” Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher Article Safety of high-dose intravenous labetalol in hypertensive crisis Lead […]

Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher In this episode, I’ll discuss how to predict the risk of cardiac arrest after intubation. A retrospective analysis of 64 ICUs in France determined the prevalence of and risk factors for cardiac arrest during intubation in ICU. A total of 1,847 intubation procedures were included in the analysis. The […]

Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher Most third-party drug interaction services or references don’t help with determining the clinical significance of a given drug interaction. But the book Top 100 Drug Interactions by Hansten and Horn helps me determine whether an interaction is real vs theoretical, so I can guide patients and physicians safely through […]

Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher In this episode, I’ll discuss whether patients with liver disease and prolonged PT/INR levels still need VTE prophylaxis. Patients with liver disease and prolonged PT/INR levels appear to be teetering between the risk of bleeding and the risk of clotting. In a patient with cirrhosis, simply having a prolonged […]

In this episode I’ll: 1. Discuss a review article about musculoskeletal toxicities in patients receiving concomitant statin and daptomycin therapy 2. Answer the drug information question “Is there any benefit in de-escalating ceftriaxone to cefazolin?” Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher Article Musculoskeletal toxicities in patients receiving concomitant statin and daptomycin therapy Lead author: Kazuhiko […]

Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher Clindamycin is usually thought of as the antibiotic to use in necrotizing fasciitis to reduce toxin production. But linezolid and clindamycin both bind to the 50S subunit of bacterial ribosomes to inhibit protein synthesis. Linezolid is a particularly interesting choice in infections with group A strep as the drug […]

In this episode, I’ll discuss fentanyl-induced chest wall rigidity. Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher Fentanyl is an ideal opioid to use in critically ill patients due to its relatively quick onset and offset. Fentanyl also has minimal histamine release and resulting effects on hemodynamics when compared with other opioids. A known but rare complication […]

Can patients with an iodine allergy receive amiodarone? Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher This question was best addressed in a 2012 retrospective medical record review in the journal Pharmacotherapy. Records of 234 sequential hospitalized patients in 2 academic medical centers with a listed iodine and/or iodinated radiocontrast agent allergy who received oral or intravenous […]

In this episode I’ll: 1. Discuss an article about the presence of an emergency medicine pharmacist during critical care trauma patient resuscitation. 2. Answer the drug information question “Should probiotics be given via NG tube to ICU patients?” 3. Share a tip for responding to inpatient medical emergencies. Subscribe on iTunes, Android, or Stitcher Article […]