scholarly journals The Prescribing and Education of Naloxone in a Large Academic Medical Center

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Sabrina Miller ◽  
Lauren Williams ◽  
Amy N. Thompson

The opioid epidemic has led to increased needs for opioid reversal agents which require education and counseling for proper use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate outpatient naloxone prescribing and education practices at an academic medical center to understand the current state and inform quality improvement measures. This retrospective chart review study included 439 patients that were at least 18 years old and received an outpatient prescription for naloxone between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018. Descriptive and demographic data were collected. The primary endpoint was whether an indication for naloxone and education on administration were documented when naloxone was initially prescribed to patients. Overall, 39% of naloxone prescriptions did not have an indication for prescribing listed in the medical record. Of those with a documented indication, concomitant benzodiazepines and history of overdose or substance abuse were most common (22% and 14%). The average morphine milligram equivalents were 165. Additionally, 69% of dispenses did not have documentation that the patient or a caregiver received education regarding the use and administration of naloxone. These findings suggest that patients are receiving naloxone for appropriate indications. Documentation of medication education is needed to ensure it is occurring and that patients are informed.

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 411-418
Author(s):  
Adam Root ◽  
Randall Johnson ◽  
Ann McGee ◽  
Hui-Jie Lee ◽  
Siyun Yang ◽  
...  

Aim: To investigate the current state of TPMT testing at a single-academic medical center. Methods: Single-center, retrospective chart review for patients newly prescribed a thiopurine. Data collection and evaluation included the prevalence and timing of TPMT testing, correct dosage adjustment if applicable, and incidence of myelosuppression. Results: 121 patients (71%) received TPMT testing. Out of the tested patients, 110 (90.9%) were designated as wild-type with normal metabolism. Dosing modification was appropriate in applicable patients. In unadjusted analysis, there was a lower incidence of myelosuppression among patients who were tested versus those who were not (16.5 vs 36.7%). Conclusion: Based on the study results, TPMT testing opportunities exist for nearly 30% of patients. Testing may reduce the incidence of myelosuppression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S667-S668
Author(s):  
Ann-Marie Idusuyi ◽  
Maureen Campion ◽  
Kathleen Belusko

Abstract Background The new ASHP/IDSA consensus guidelines recommend area under the curve (AUC) monitoring to optimize vancomycin therapy. Little is known about the ability to implement this recommendation in a real-world setting. At UMass Memorial Medical Center (UMMMC), an AUC pharmacy to dose protocol was created to manage infectious diseases (ID) consult patients on vancomycin. The service was piloted by the pharmacy residents and 2 clinical pharmacists. The purpose of this study was to determine if a pharmacy to dose AUC protocol can safely and effectively be implemented. Methods A first-order kinetics calculator was built into the electronic medical record and live education was provided to pharmacists. Pharmacists ordered levels, wrote progress notes, and communicated to teams regarding dose adjustments. Patients were included based upon ID consult and need for vancomycin. After a 3-month implementation period, a retrospective chart review was completed. Patients in the pre-implementation group were admitted 3 months prior to AUC pharmacy to dose, had an ID consult and were monitored by trough (TR) levels. The AUC group was monitored with a steady state peak and trough level to calculate AUC. The primary outcome evaluated time to goal AUC vs. time to goal TR. Secondary outcomes included number of dose adjustments made, total daily dose of vancomycin, and incidence of nephrotoxicity. Results A total of 64 patients met inclusion criteria, with 37 patients monitored by TR and 27 patients monitored by AUC. Baseline characteristics were similar except for weight in kilograms (TR 80.0 ±25.4 vs AUC 92.0 ±26.7; p=0.049). The average time to goal AUC was 4.13 (±2.08) days, and the average time to goal TR was 4.19 (±2.30) days (p=0.982). More dose adjustments occurred in the TR group compared to the AUC (1 vs 2; p=0.037). There was no difference between the two groups in dosing (TR 15.8 mg/kg vs AUC 16.4 mg/kg; p=0.788). Acute kidney injury occurred in 5 patients in the AUC group and 11 patients in the TR group (p=0.765). Conclusion Fewer dose adjustments and less nephrotoxicity was seen utilizing an AUC based protocol. Our small pilot has shown that AUC pharmacy to dose can be safely implemented. Larger studies are needed to evaluate reduction in time to therapeutic goals. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ashamalla ◽  
Justin Pieper ◽  
Daniel Sedhom ◽  
Neil Yager ◽  
Mikhail Torosoff

Background: There is conflicting evidence concerning the obesity paradox in stroke patients. We sought to examine the relationship between gender, BMI, and prevalence of comorbidities in patients with non-hemorrhagic stroke. Materials and Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed in 996 consecutive patients treated for non-hemorrhagic stroke at a single academic medical center. Patients were divided according to gender and specific BMI groups according to the National Institute of Health. This study was approved by the institutional IRB. Results: Patients with BMI from 0-18.5 and 18.5-24.9 were more likely to be female (63.2% and 58.4% p<.05). Whereas patients with BMI over 25-30 and 30-35 were more likely to be male (60.82% and 59.2% p<.05). Morbidly obese patients (BMI>35) were equally likely to be men or women. In men higher BMI correlated with presentation at younger age. Diabetes was most prevalent in patients with BMI over 35 (40% males, 44% females, p<.05). In females, HTN was associated with BMI 30-34.5 and 35+ (80.5% and 73.3%, P<.05). Males showed a similar though non-significant trend. The prevalence of end stage renal disease, systemic atherosclerosis, and PVD was not significantly correlated with BMI in either gender. Conclusion: Gender and BMI significantly affect associated comorbidities in patients with non-hemorrhagic stroke, possibly suggestive of unique gender specific disease mechanisms. Additional studies investigating the effect of gender and BMI on diagnostic evaluation and treatment of patients with non-hemorrhagic stroke are warranted.


2017 ◽  
Vol 96 (8) ◽  
pp. E28-E30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward C. Kuan ◽  
Kevin A. Peng ◽  
Jeffrey D. Suh ◽  
Marvin Bergsneider ◽  
Marilene B. Wang

Cushing disease is a relatively rare cause of Cushing syndrome secondary to a hyperfunctioning pituitary adenoma. In addition to signs and symptoms of hypercortisolism, Cushing disease may present with diverse otolaryngic manifestations, which may guide diagnosis and management. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who were found to have Cushing disease and who underwent transnasal transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas between January 1, 2007, and July 1, 2014, at a tertiary academic medical center. There were 37 consecutive patients in this series with Cushing disease caused by a pituitary adenoma. Fifteen (41%) patients complained of visual changes. Five (14%) patients suffered from obstructive sleep apnea. Four (11%) patients had thyroid disease. Other symptoms included hearing loss, vertigo, tinnitus, epistaxis, dysphagia, and salivary gland swelling. Although Cushing disease traditionally presents with classic “Cushingoid” systemic features, it also may present with various otolaryngic manifestations. A thorough workup by otolaryngologists is critical in the comprehensive management of these patients.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moises Moreno ◽  
Adam Schwartz ◽  
Ronald Dvorkin

Objective. To determine the accuracy of Point-Of-Care testing (PoCT) creatinine values when compared to standard central laboratory testing (IDMS) and to demonstrate if and how a discrepancy could lead to improper risk stratification for contrast induced nephropathy (CIN). Methods. We conducted a descriptive retrospective chart review of patients seen in the Emergency Department of a single suburban, community, and academic medical center. We included patients who presented to the department between March 2013 and September 2014 who had blood samples analyzed by both PoCT and IDMS. Results. Mean IDMS creatinine values were 0.23 mg/dL higher when compared with i-Stat values. 95% of the time, the IDMS creatinine value was variable and ranged from −0.45 mg/dL to +0.91 mg/dL when compared to the i-Stat creatinine. When using i-Stat creatinine values to calculate GFR, 47 out of 156 patients had risk category variations compared to using the IDMS value. This affected 30.1% of the total eligible sample population (22.9% to 37.3% with 95% CI). Conclusion. We found a significant discrepancy between PoCT and IDMS creatinine values and found that this discrepancy could lead to improper risk stratification for CIN.


2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah H. Ailey ◽  
Tricia J. Johnson ◽  
Louis Fogg ◽  
Tanya R. Friese

Abstract People with intellectual disabilities (ID) represent a small but important group of hospitalized patients who have higher rates of complications than do patients without ID hospitalized for the same reasons. Complications are potentially avoidable conditions, such as healthcare-acquired infections, healthcare-acquired skin breakdown, falls, and medication errors and reactions. Addressing factors related to complications can focus efforts to improve hospital care. The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze data from reviews of academic medical center charts (N  =  70) about complications and to examine patient and hospitalization characteristics in relation to complications among adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with ID hospitalized for nonpsychiatric reasons. Adults with ID tended to be twice as likely to have complications (χ2  =  2.893, df  =  1, p  =  .09) if they had a surgical procedure and were nearly four times as likely to have complications (χ2  =  6.836, df  =  1, p  =  .009) if they had multiple chronic health conditions (three of the following: history of cerebral palsy, autism spectrum symptoms, aggressive behavior, respiratory disorder, and admission through the emergency department). Findings suggest preliminary criteria for assessing risk for complications among hospitalized people with ID and the need for attention to their specific needs when hospitalized.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Shillingburg ◽  
Lisa Biondo

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of aprepitant and fosaprepitant, a neurokinin 1 (NK-1) receptor inhibitor, in children and adolescents at a large academic medical center, for the prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted using an electronic medical record system to evaluate the use of aprepitant and fosaprepitant in all pediatric patients that were discharged from a single academic medical center between February 25, 2009 and May 25, 2012. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included in this review and received a total of 287 doses over the span of 114 cycles. Mean age was 10.1 years, with a range of 11 months to 17 years old. In 16 of 26 patients, aprepitant was used as the primary prophylaxis. Of those patients who received primary prophylaxis, 6 of 16 received it for highly emetogenic chemotherapy, and 10 of 16 received it for moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. Intravenous fosaprepitant was used in 7 of 26 patients, ages 13 to 17 (median 14) years old. No adverse effects attributable to aprepitant were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Use of aprepitant and fosaprepitant in pediatric patients appeared to be well tolerated. No currently published reports data using aprepitant in a patient younger than 32 months old, whereas we reported its use in patients as young as 11 months old.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 351-356
Author(s):  
Manuel C. Vallejo, MD, DMD ◽  
Robert E. Shapiro, MD ◽  
Mitchell W. Lippy, BS ◽  
Christa L. Lilly, PhD ◽  
Leo R. Brancazio, MD

Objective: We aimed to determine the incidence of chronic illicit substance use during pregnancy and to identify associated risk factors.Design: A 2-year time-matched retrospective maternal quality control database (n = 4,470) analysis of parturients with chronic illicit substance use compared to controls.Setting: A tertiary academic medical center located in a rural setting.Results: The rate of chronic illicit substance use was 1.95 percent. Demographic factors associated with chronic illicit substance use in pregnancy-included lower body mass index (BMI; OR: 0.93; 95 percent CI: 0.89-0.96, p 0.0001), higher gravidity (OR: 1.24; 95 percent CI: 1.13-1.36, p 0.0001), higher parity (OR: 1.38; 95 percent CI: 1.22-1.57, p 0.0001), and more live births (OR: 1.30; 95 percent CI: 1.16-1.46, p 0.0001). A history of smoking (OR: 10.51; 95 percent CI: 5.69-19.42, p 0.0001), alcohol use (OR: 48.98; 95 percent CI: 17.33-138.40, p 0.0001), anxiety (OR: 1.88; 95 percent CI: 1.16-3.05, p = 0.01), depression (OR: 2.44; 95 percent CI: 1.55-3.85, p = 0.0001), transfer on admission (OR: 2.12; 95 percent CI: 1.16-3.87, p = 0.01), payor insurance (OR: 2.12, 95 percent CI: 2.10-5.04, p 0.0001), and Apgar scores 7 at 1 minute (OR: 0.50; 95 percent CI: 0.25-1.00, p = 0.049) were significant. Multiple variable logistic regression-revealed BMI, smoking, alcohol use, and Apgar score 7 at 1 minute as significant factors.Conclusions: Awareness of these factors can assist in identifying and treating parturients with chronic illicit substance use.


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