Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole-induced methemoglobinemia in pediatric patient: A case report.

In this report, a case of high dose of sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim-induced methemoglobinemia and is reported in a young boy with ventilator-associated pneumonia and was treated successfully with methylene blue and cessation of the offending agent.

Effectiveness of a pharmacist-led educational intervention to reduce the use of high-risk abbreviations in an acute care setting in Saudi Arabia: a quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a pharmacist-led educational intervention to reduce the use of high-risk abbreviations (HRAs) by healthcare professionals. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental study consisting of a single group before-and-after study design. SETTING: A public emergency hospital in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: 660 (preintervention) and then 498 (postintervention) handwritten physician orders, medication administration records (MRAs) and pharmacy dispensing sheets of 482 and 388 patients, respectively, from emergency wards, inpatient settings and the pharmacy department were reviewed. INTERVENTION: The intervention consisted of a series of interactive lectures delivered by an experienced clinical pharmacist to all hospital staff members and dissemination of educational tools (flash cards, printed list of HRAs, awareness posters) designed in line with the recommendations of the Institute for Safe Medical Practices and the US Food and Drug Administration. The duration of intervention was from April to May 2011. MAIN OUTCOME: Reduction in the incidence of HRAs use from the preintervention to postintervention study period. FINDINGS: The five most common abbreviations recorded prior to the interventions were 'IJ for injection' (28.6%), 'SC for subcutaneous' (17.4%), drug name and dose running together (9.7%), 'OD for once daily' (5.8%) and 'D/C for discharge' (4.3%). The incidence of the use of HRAs was highest in discharge prescriptions and dispensing records (72.7%) followed by prescriptions from in-patient wards (47.3%). After the intervention, the overall incidence of HRA was significantly reduced by 52% (ie, 53.6% vs 25.5%; p=0.001). In addition, there was a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of HRAs across all three settings: the pharmacy department (72.7% vs 39.3%), inpatient settings (47.3% vs 23.3%) and emergency wards (40.9% vs 10.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacist-led educational interventions can significantly reduce the use of HRAs by healthcare providers. Future research should investigate the long-term effectiveness of such educational interventions through a randomised controlled trial.

Vancomycin therapy in critically ill patients on continuous renal replacement therapy; are we doing enough?

BACKGROUND: Recommendations regarding vancomycin dosing and monitoring in critically ill patients on continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are limited. This is a retrospective study to assess the adequacy of current vancomycin dosing and monitoring practice for patients on CRRT in a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of adult patients admitted between 1 April 2011 and 30 March 2013 to critical care and received intravenous vancomycin therapy whilst on CRRT was performed. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients received intravenous vancomycin therapy whilst on CRRT, of which 32 met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-one percent were males and median (range) age was 62.5 (19 - 90) years. Median APACHE II score was 33.5 (22-43) and median Charlson Comorbidity Score was 4 (0-8). The mean (± standard deviation) dose of vancomycin was 879.9 mg (± 281.2 mg) for an average duration of 5.9 days (± 3.7 days). All patients received continuous veno-venous haemofiltration (CVVH). A total of 55 vancomycin level readings were available from the study population, ranging from 6.6 to 41.3, with wide variations within the same sampling time frames. Vancomycin levels of > 15 mg/L or were achieved at least once in 24 patients (75.0%), but only 11 patients (34.3%) had 2 or more serum vancomycin level readings of 15 mg/L or more. CONCLUSION: Therapeutic vancomycin levels are difficult to maintain in critically ill patients who are receiving IV vancomycin therapy whilst on CRRT. Aggressive dosing schedules and frequent monitoring are required to ensure adequate vancomycin therapy in this setting.