DOsing Strategy Effectiveness of Diltiazem in Atrial Fibrillation With Rapid Ventricular Response.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dose-dependent comparative safety and effectiveness between weight-based and alternative dosing strategies for diltiazem in atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response who received treatment with intravenous diltiazem. Groups were retrospectively categorized according to the initial dose: low (<0.1875 mg/kg), weight-based (0.1875 to 0.3125 mg/kg), and high (>0.3125 mg/kg). The primary outcome was rate control (heart rate <100 beats/min) within 30 minutes of treatment. RESULTS: Of 345 records, 252 were included. Because of scarcity (N=6), outcomes for the high-dose group were not analyzed. By 30 minutes, the weight-based dosing group had more often achieved rate control (weight-based 55%; low 27%; difference 29% [95% confidence interval (CI) 17% to 40%]). Regression analysis identified the weight-based dosing group (odds ratio 3.63, 95% CI 2.06 to 6.39) and initial heart rate of less than 145 beats/min (odds ratio 2.56, 95% CI 1.46 to 4.51) as variables associated with the primary outcome. The weight-based dosing group less often required rescue therapy (weight-based 6%; low 17%; difference -12% [95% CI -20% to -4%]) relative to the low-dose group. Mortality was higher in the low-dose group than in the weight-based dosing group (low 7%; weight-based 1%; difference 6% [95% CI 1% to 11%]). CONCLUSION: This study shows dose-dependent hemodynamic effects with diltiazem in patients with atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. Weight-based diltiazem (0.25 mg/kg) was associated with greater rate control with no evidence of increased adverse effects. There was no perceived advantage in using lower, alternative doses.

Effect of Default Order Standardization on Opioid Prescribing Patterns.

BACKGROUND: Opioid misuse, overprescribing, dependency, and overdose remains a significant concern in the United States. A quality improvement study was conducted at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System to determine the effect of standardizing the default orders for hydrocodone-acetaminophen products implemented on June 22, 2016. METHODS: Prior to the intervention, default orders had variable dose tablet numbers (1 or 2) and dosing frequencies (every 4 or 6 hours), and no default dispense quantity. Defaults were modified to 1 tablet every 6 hours as needed for pain and dispense quantities of 3 and 5 days' supply were added. Number of tablets per order, dosing frequency, and days' supply prescribed between January 1, 2016, and June 21, 2016, were compared to those placed between June 22, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Opioid doses were converted into morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Analyses were performed to determine the effect of the intervention on daily opioid dose and number of days' supply prescribed. RESULTS: 22,052 orders were included in this study. Following the intervention, the number of tablets prescribed was reduced by an average of 19,832 tablets per month. Every 6 hours dosing (as opposed to every 4 hours) increased by 21.52 percentage points. Prescriptions with ≥ 50 MME/day dropped by 5.8 percentage points, and > 3 days' supply decreased by 2.54 percentage points. Linear regression demonstrated an increase in opioid prescriptions with daily < 50 MME (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72, p < 0.001) and ≤ 3 days' supply (OR = 1.27, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Default electronic health record settings strongly influence prescribing patterns.

Encouraging pharmacist intervention and standardization of labeling and dispensing of oral liquid medications.

OBJECTIVES: To initiate a call to action for community pharmacists and key-pharmacy stakeholders in the standardization of oral-liquid dosage forms. DATA SOURCES: Not applicable. SUMMARY: Unintentional overdose of medication due to administration error results in thousands of pediatric hospitalizations yearly. A lack of prescription and dosage device standardization pertaining to oral-liquid medications continue to be a public health hazard. Multiple professional organizations have publicly endorsed the standardization of oral liquid dosage forms. Universal adoption will not be achieved until key-pharmacy stakeholders encourage their pharmacists to use best practices when verifying and preparing prescription medication. Specifically, these practices should include immediate conversion of prescriptions containing non-metric volumes into metric volumes, providing appropriate sized oral dosing syringes for all oral liquid prescriptions, writing dosing directions in the safest format, and counseling patients and caretakers of proper medication administration. CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to lead the universal adoption of these best practices to ensure proper oral-liquid dosing administration for all patients.

Automatic Errors: A Case Series on the Errors Inherent in Electronic Prescribing.

The adoption of electronic prescribing is on the rise, as it reduces medication errors compared to handwritten orders. The inadvertent dispensing of discontinued medications is a type of medication error that is less well described, but one that can lead to adverse events. Software for electronic prescriptions transmits orders for refills or new prescriptions, but not discontinuations, to the pharmacy. Medications that have been stopped are displayed only at the prescribing facility's electronic medical record (EMR). This report describes five cases in which the pharmacy dispensed electronically discontinued medications, two of which contributed to adverse outcomes.

Rhabdomyolysis Secondary to Clenbuterol Use and Exercise.

BACKGROUND: The literature regarding rhabdomyolysis secondary to illicit drug use is sparse. Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator approved for veterinary use, which in high doses can increase protein deposition and lipolysis similarly to anabolic steroids, and is thereby abused for bodybuilding and weight loss effects. Clenbuterol has previously been described in case reports to be cardiotoxic, with patient presentations similar to overdoses of sympathomimetic substances, but reports of rhabdomyolysis are limited to a single case series in horses. CASE REPORT: We report the first case of rhabdomyolysis secondary to clenbuterol in a human. Our patient used clenbuterol for muscle-building effects in addition to exercise for multiple days prior to presentation. The patient's chief complaint at Emergency Department (ED) presentation was discolored urine. Workup for rhabdomyolysis was initiated, and an initial creatine kinase was measured at 122,933 units/L. Our patient's rhabdomyolysis was successfully treated with supportive therapy, and the patient was eventually discharged to home with no identifiable disability. The patient's kidney function remained at baseline, and no acute kidney injury was experienced secondary to rhabdomyolysis. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Patients presenting to the ED may have been unintentionally exposed through cutting of illicit substances or through intentional use in bodybuilding. Clenbuterol has well-described cardiotoxic effects, and we report the additional toxicity of rhabdomyolysis with its use.

Probable interaction between Lycium barbarum (goji) and warfarin.

Lycium barbarum (also called goji berry), a Chinese herb used as a supplement for health benefits, is traditionally consumed by the Chinese in the form of a tea. Goji juice, a widely available beverage in the United States, also contains this herb. We describe a 71-year-old Ecuadorean-American woman who was taking warfarin and was hospitalized for a markedly elevated, indeterminate international normalized ratio (INR) (prothrombin time > 120 sec) after consumption of goji juice. She had undergone knee surgery approximately 3 months earlier at which time warfarin therapy was started. She reported no changes in dietary habits or lifestyle other than drinking goji juice for 4 days before hospitalization. On presentation to the emergency department, she described symptoms of epistaxis, bruising, and rectal bleeding. After discontinuation of the goji juice and warfarin, the patient was treated with phytonadione, and her INR decreased to 2.6 over 2 days. Application of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a probable relationship (score of 6) between the patient's elevated INR with associated bleeding and her concomitant use of L. barbarum and warfarin. Two other published reports have described similar interactions between warfarin and a tea containing L. barbarum. Patients should be educated about avoiding popular herbal drinks, such as goji juice, that contain L. barbarum while they are taking warfarin. In addition, clinicians should question patients about their use of herbal therapies and document such use in their medical records before prescribing drugs such as warfarin.