The appropriateness of initial vancomycin dosing.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin use has markedly increased over the past several years because of an increased incidence of resistant organisms, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Despite the availability of dosing nomograms and the use of peak and trough levels, vancomycin dosing has remained problematic. METHODS: All intravenous vancomycin orders over a 3-month period in a community and teaching hospital were screened for appropriateness of initial dosing based on available dosing nomograms. RESULTS: Of the 48 patients who received intravenous vancomycin, only 19 (39.6%) were given initial doses that achieved the desired serum concentration. There were no significant differences in the appropriateness of initial dosing between family medicine residents, attending physicians, and private staff physicians. Older patients in our study were at higher risk for overdosing, whereas younger patients were more likely to be underdosed. In this study, nomogram use could have yielded correct initial dosages in 40 of the 48 patients (83.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates a high percentage of inappropriate initial vancomycin dosing in a community and teaching hospital. The investigators believe inappropriate initial vancomycin dosing is common and may result in unnecessary expense, increased risk of therapeutic failures, and greater potential for adverse drug reactions. Increased use of vancomycin dosing nomograms could improve the rate of correct initial dosages.

Jaundice.

Jaundice is a disorder of bilirubin metabolism and has many causes. History and physical examination help establish the diagnosis in 70 to 80 percent of patients. Elevation of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase suggests cholestasis, either intrahepatic (e.g., medication reactions) or extrahepatic (e.g., choledocholithiasis), whereas markedly elevated serum aminotransferases are indicative of hepatocellular damage from infection, toxins or ischemia. Ultrasound examination is a useful initial procedure when extrahepatic obstruction is suspected. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and computed tomography may be better used to diagnose obstruction at the level of the pancreas or distal common bile duct. The treatment is based on the etiology of jaundice and includes removal of offending medications or toxins, therapy for underlying liver disease or surgery for extrahepatic obstruction.

Dermatologic manifestations of giardiasis.

We have presented a case of atopic dermatitis associated with Giardia lamblia infection, which has not been previously described. Review of the world literature shows an association between giardiasis and urticaria. Other allergic phenomena, such as angioedema and possibly arthropathy, also might be associated with this infection. When confronted with these clinical problems, giardiasis should be included in the differential diagnosis. As these complications respond to specific therapy, identification of this organism as its cause can be particularly rewarding.

The family physician as medical review officer.

BACKGROUND: The medical review officer is a position established by federal statute in 1988. The role of the medical review officer is to interpret positive urine drug tests in view of the donor's medical history. With more than 4 million workers affected by the Department of Transportation guidelines for workplace drug testing, and many private employers having urine drug screening programs, there is a need for medical review officers. METHODS: Materials for this report were collected while the first author was pursuing certification from the Medical Review Officer Certification Council. Much of the data was published in the Federal Register from 1988 through 1993. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Urine drug testing is divided into three stages: collection, laboratory analysis,and medical review of results. Because the workplace urine drug test is a forensic test, the urine is collected under strict chain of custody. Analysis of specimens is conducted by laboratories that have met stringent technical criteria and are approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (formerly the National Institute on Drug Abuse). Family physicians are in a unique position to become medical review officers because of their training and professional roles. Educational programs are available for physicians interested in becoming a medical review officer.

Paresthesias: a practical diagnostic approach.

Paresthesias may be caused by central or peripheral nervous system abnormalities. Central nervous system-induced paresthesias are most commonly caused by ischemia, structural or compressive phenomena, infection, inflammation or degenerative conditions. Peripherally induced paresthesias can be caused by entrapment syndromes, metabolic disturbances, trauma, inflammation, connective tissue diseases, toxins, hereditary conditions, malignancies, nutritional deficiencies and miscellaneous conditions. Confirming the diagnosis and establishing an etiology may require appropriate laboratory and radiologic studies, or other studies. In most cases, the specific clinical syndromes associated with the paresthesias, coupled with the presenting neurologic findings, provide the physician with a framework for the diagnosis.

A critical review of the new oral cephalosporins. Considerations and place in therapy.

Oral cephalosporins are key antimicrobials in the family physician's therapeutic armamentarium. The list of available agents within this class has been recently expanded to include cefixime, cefprozil, cefpodoxime proxetil, and loracarbef. Each of these antibiotics has differing antimicrobial coverage patterns and approved therapeutic uses. Compared with older, more established antimicrobials such as penicillin, amoxicillin, cefaclor, a combination of amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium, and erythromycin, the newer cephalosporins offer little, if any, therapeutic advantage. Clinical efficacy has been shown to be equal in virtually all studies comparing the newer cephalosporins with traditional agents for various community-acquired infections. While the four newer agents may be given less often, they are relatively expensive. In light of the available clinical data, the newer oral cephalosporins should be reserved as second- or third-line choices.

The family physician and industrial hygiene.

Family physicians are increasingly being called on to become involved in the health care of workers in local industries. Many family physicians are the sole providers of occupational health care in their communities, yet their formal training is usually deficient in some of the more specialized aspects of occupational medicine. Treating work-related injuries and exposures to hazardous substances may require analyses of work sites that many family physicians have neither the time nor the expertise to perform adequately. Industrial hygienists are the consultants who are qualified to assess potential occupational hazards and are trained to perform a comprehensive analysis of the work environment as it relates to worker health. This analysis may include the measurement of potentially hazardous substances, such as ambient air concentrations of particulate matter and toxic gases, and recommendations for prevention of exposures. Two cases are presented to illustrate how valuable a consultation with an industrial hygienist can be to the family physician.

Extended dosage intervals for aminoglycosides.

The rationale for and effectiveness of extended dosage intervals for aminoglycosides are discussed. Aminoglycosides can be given once daily despite an elimination half-life of two to three hours because of the postantibiotic effect (PAE) of these agents. Aminoglycosides have a prolonged PAE against a variety of common gram-negative and gram-positive organisms. Higher serum aminoglycoside concentrations are associated with longer PAEs and increased bactericidal activity. Once-daily administration may reduce the potential for adaptive postexposure resistance by allowing less contact time between organism and drug. A major concern with aminoglycosides is the risk of nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity. The uptake of specific aminoglycosides by renal cortical cells is saturable; a longer dosage interval may decrease the risk of nephrotoxicity because higher transient serum aminoglycoside levels appear to be less nephrotoxic than lower but more persistent serum concentrations. Once-daily administration may reduce the risk of ototoxicity through a similar mechanism. An increasing number of clinical trials suggest tht once-daily administration of aminoglycosides and regimens involving shorter dosage intervals are equally effective in patients with normal renal function and gram-negative infections and that once-daily administration may reduce the frequency of toxicity or delay it. Patients with renal dysfunction or neutropenia may also benefit from once-daily administration. Most trials have been small, and in some of them other antimicrobials were given concurrently. Although more study is needed, the evidence to date suggests that once-daily administration of aminoglycosides is as effective as traditional regimens entailing shorter dosage intervals and may reduce the potential for toxicity.

Warfarin necrosis.

Skin and subcutaneous tissue necrosis is a rare complication of warfarin therapy. Although the incidence is low, with increased use of warfarin family physicians need to be aware of this potentially catastrophic event. This article reviews the history of warfarin necrosis and discusses its clinical presentation. The histologic findings with necrosed lesions are described, with emphasis on the possible pathogenesis of this disorder. Treatment options based on existing clinical experience as outlined in the literature are discussed.

Severe hypoglycemia associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy.

Hypoglycemia associated with sulfamethoxazole therapy in patients with chronic renal insufficiency has previously been documented. We report the case of an elderly patient with relatively normal renal function who developed severe hypoglycemia associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy.

Adolescent sexual activity in Alabama.

OBJECTIVE: Early adolescent sexuality has reached epidemic proportions in the US. Most investigations on adolescent sexuality have focused on large urban populations. The objective of this study was to identify the rate of adolescent sexuality in a Southern population and make comparisons to national studies. METHODS: Data were collected by surveying 3370 students in the eighth and tenth grades from across the state of Alabama. The survey utilized was a modified version of the Alabama Adolescent Student Health Survey, an instrument derived from the National Adolescent Student Health Survey. RESULTS: The male sexual experience rate was 41% compared to the female rate of 39%. Tenth graders (44%) were more sexually experienced than eighth graders (37%). Blacks (50%) were more sexually active than whites (35%). Adolescents from single parent (45%) or non-parent households (46%) were more likely to be sexually active than those from two-parent households (36%). CONCLUSIONS: The rates of reported sexual activity in this survey are alarming and are similar to rates reported in the literature. This study helps document the increasing rate of sexual activity as teenagers span the adolescent years. Family physicians are in an ideal position to help educate adolescents about risky sexual behaviors.

Screening for prostate cancer: a comparison of urologists and primary care physicians.

Prostate cancer screening has assumed increased importance with increasing mortality from this cancer. Newer diagnostic tests such as measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) have improved detection of early prostate cancer. To determine practice patterns of prostate cancer screening, surveys were sent to 487 urologists (231 responses) and 542 family physicians (205 responses) in the Southeast inquiring about actual screening practices. In screening asymptomatic patients, the digital rectal examination was used by 99% of the urologists and 98% of the family physicians, with the mean age of screening initiation being 45 +/- 7 years for the urologists and 43 +/- 7 years for the family physicians. Serum PSA was used for screening asymptomatic patients by 98% of the urologists and 87% of the family physicians, with 49 +/- 4 years being the mean age of screening initiation for both specialties. Although differences in screening emerged, both physician groups approximated the recommended screening guidelines.