Critical Care Alert – February 1, 2006
February 1, 2006
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Forgotten Hazards of Sedatives
Propylene glycol is used as the carrier vehicle for a number of drugs including lorazepam and diazepam. It may cause metabolic abnormalities such as anion gap metabolic (usually lactic) acidosis and hyperosmolality. -
Aminophylline in COPD Exacerbations: Just Say No
In this study from the University of Liverpool, Duffy and associates sought to determine whether the addition of intravenous aminophylline produced clinically important improvements in the rates of symptomatic recovery or increases in pulmonary function, and whether it shortened hospital stay, in comparison with standard therapy without aminophylline, among patients with COPD who were admitted with an exacerbation. -
Special Feature: Trouble-Shooting the Ventilated Patient
Late in the evening you receive a page about a patient who is fighting the ventilator. You are cross-covering and do not know the patient. Your sign-out sheet says only that she is 68 years old, has severe COPD complicated by pneumonia, and has been in the ICU for the last 3 days. No specific problems are mentioned. -
Pharmacology Watch: Letrozole for Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer
Do Antidepressants Increase Risk of Suicide?; Can Viagra Improve Heart Function?; A Dramatic Increase of Clostridium difficile; FDA Actions -
Clinical Briefs in Primary Care supplement