Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Neostigmine for Ileus, Acute Colonic Pseudo-obstruction, or Refractory Constipation.

BACKGROUND: Neostigmine is traditionally administered intravenously for treatment of acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO), though use is associated with administration constraints and adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether an alternative route of administration for neostigmine via subcutaneous (SQ) delivery is safe and effective in a broad cohort of medical and surgical patients. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective observational study included adult patients administered SQ neostigmine for ileus, ACPO, or refractory constipation. Efficacy indicators were time to first bowel movement (BM) following initiation of the medication, total SQ neostigmine dose administered to produce a BM, and administration of a rescue intervention to produce a BM. Safety events evaluated were cardiac arrest, bradycardia, bronchospasm requiring intervention, nausea requiring intervention, or severe salivation, lacrimation, or diarrhea. RESULTS: A total of 182 patients were eligible for inclusion. The most commonly utilized dosing strategy of neostigmine was 0.25 mg SQ 4 times daily. The median time to first BM following initiation of SQ neostigmine was 29.19 hours (interquartile range = 12.18-56.84) with a median dose administered before first BM of 1.25 mg. Three patients (1.65%) experienced an adverse drug event leading to drug discontinuation, with 2 developing bradycardia that resolved with drug discontinuation alone. CONCLUSIONS: SQ neostigmine may be reasonable for management of ileus, ACPO, or refractory constipation, though use should be avoided in patients with new-onset heart block, a history of second-degree heart block, or following bowel resection with primary anastomosis. Despite the low incidence of adverse drug events observed, monitoring for bradycardia with telemetry may be considered.

Reducing Carbapenem Exposure: Extended-Spectrum ß-Lactamase Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Management.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are one of the most common sources of infection, accounting for up to 40% of health care-associated infections each year in the United States. Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae are frequent causes of urinary tract infections in health care settings. Prevalent use of carbapenems has led to the emergence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infections, leaving clinicians with few treatment options. Reducing carbapenem use and investigating alternative options for low-severity extended-spectrum ß-lactamase infections is imperative to prevent more cases of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Although carbapenems are the antibiotics of choice for treating extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae catheter-associated urinary tract infections, carbapenem-sparing regimens may be appropriate for treating hemodynamically stable patients with low inoculum levels. Moreover, frontline health care providers can initiate efforts to reduce the development of multidrug-resistant organisms by decresing inappropriate antibiotic use during the treatment of catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteruria, avoiding unnecessary catheterizations, and avoiding culturing urine in asymptomatic patients.

Management of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing interventional pulmonary procedures.

There has been great progress in antithrombotic therapy over the past several years. Its use has increased with the advent of novel anticoagulants, as these medications do not require frequent blood tests for monitoring. Antithrombotic therapy is aimed at reducing the risk of thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, deep vein thrombosis, valvular heart disease and pulmonary embolism. These patients are often critically ill and frequently undergo urgent interventions requiring discontinuation of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy which can increase the risk of thrombosis; however, continuing these agents can lead to increased risk of haemorrhage.The purpose of this article is to summarise the literature surrounding the safety of using antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies in patients undergoing interventional pulmonary procedures.