Jul 24, 2019
Educational Pearls:
- Buprenorphine is a semi-synthetic derivative of the opium poppy
- FDA approved for the treatment of opiate use disorder and chronic pain
- Benefit in emergency department use is the ceiling effect - producing less euphoria as well as respiratory depression with higher doses
- It has an onset of 30-60...
Jul 4, 2019
Contributor: Charleen Gnisci, PharmD
Educational Pearls:
- Causes of increased intracranial pressure may include intracranial hemorrhage, malignancy, and trauma.
- While definite treatment is to remove the offending cause, there are emergency medicine
- Non-pharmacologic methods include elevating head of bed and removing...
May 17, 2019
Author: Jared Scott, MD
Educational Pearls:
- Ondansetron (Zofran) is one of the latest drugs that has had concerns raised about side effects, particularly in pregnancy
- 2018 study probed two birth defect databases to assess increases in 51 major birth defects with increased exposure to ondansetron
- Only two of the 51 had...
Apr 17, 2019
Author: Nick Hatch, MD
Educational Pearls:
- A recent study investigated the effect of scheduled IV acetaminophen on the incidence of delirium in post-CABG patients in the ICU
- The use of scheduled IV acetaminophen reduced the rate of delirium in these patients compared to placebo
- This may be due to the analgesic effect...
Mar 29, 2019
Author: Don Stader, MD
Educational Pearls:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective pain relievers but come with important side effects
- NSAIDs inhibit COX-1 and/or COX-2, which decreases the production of prostaglandins, which reduce pain and inflammation
- Side effects of NSAIDS include increased...