A Pharmacologic Review of Anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis occurs in the surgical population and may have devastating consequences. Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions are immediate hypersensitivity reactions that are most commonly precipitated by medications, insect stings, and foods. In the surgical population, 47.4% of immediate hypersensitivity reactions were precipitated by neuromuscular blocking agents, followed by latex and antibiotics in 20% and 18.1% of cases, respectively. Initial treatment consists of removing the precipitating trigger, administering epinephrine, and correct patient positioning. Secondary prevention measures should be instituted to prevent future occurrences. All health care professionals should have an understanding of the clinical presentation and medical management of anaphylaxis to improve patient outcomes.

Vedolizumab: an α4ß7 integrin antagonist for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are chronic, relapsing inflammatory bowel diseases associated with significant morbidity. Conventional therapies for these diseases include corticosteroids, aminosalicylates, immunomodulators, and monoclonal antibodies. Over the years tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonists alone or in combination with other therapies have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for induction and maintenance of remission of moderate to severe UC and CD. Unfortunately, some patients with moderate to severe UC and CD are unable to attain or maintain remission with TNF-α antagonist treatment. Vedolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, is the first integrin receptor antagonist approved that selectively antagonizes α4ß7 gastrointestinal integrin receptors. US Food and Drug Administration approval is for treatment of patients with moderate to severe active UC and CD who have inadequate response with, lost response to, or are intolerant to a TNF-α antagonist or an immunomodulator; or have inadequate response with, are intolerant to, or demonstrate dependence on corticosteroids. When administered according to approved dosing in patients with moderate to severe CD and UC, vedolizumab induces clinical response rates up to 31.4% and 47.1% at week 6, and clinical remission rates up to 39% and 41.8% at week 52, respectively. Serious adverse events reported with vedolizumab include serious infections, malignancies, and anaphylaxis. Since vedolizumab is gastrointestinal selective, to date, it has not shown evidence of causing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy; however, postmarketing studies monitoring for this adverse effect are ongoing. Further assessment of vedolizumab earlier in the course of these diseases and in combination with other therapies is warranted.

A pharmacologic review of anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis occurs in the surgical population and may have devastating consequences. Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions are immediate hypersensitivity reactions that are most commonly precipitated by medications, insect stings, and foods. In the surgical population, 47.4% of immediate hypersensitivity reactions were precipitated by neuromuscular blocking agents, followed by latex and antibiotics in 20% and 18.1% of cases, respectively. Initial treatment consists of removing the precipitating trigger, administering epinephrine, and correct patient positioning. Secondary prevention measures should be instituted to prevent future occurrences. All health care professionals should have an understanding of the clinical presentation and medical management of anaphylaxis to improve patient outcomes.

A pharmacologic review of cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is manifested by arrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia, pulseless electrical activity, or asystole) resulting in minimal to no forward blood flow to the body's oxygen-dependent tissues. Defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be initiated immediately as they have been shown to increase return of spontaneous circulation and survival to discharge rates. Cardiac arrest in the surgical patient population has devastating consequences. Data specific to the surgical patient found that 1 in 203 surgical patients experienced cardiac arrest requiring CPR within 30 days after surgery. A subgroup analysis found that 1 in 1,020 plastic surgery patients required CPR in this same time frame. Thirty-day mortality in the general surgery patient population was 72%. The American Heart Association updates the advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) guidelines every 5 years. Their latest publication in 2010 recommended that the resuscitative protocol be transitioned from its basic life support sequence of airway-breathing-chest compressions to chest compressions-airway-breathing. All health care professionals should have an understanding of the clinical presentation and medical management of cardiac arrest. Maintaining biannual basic life support and ACLS certification ensures that health care professionals remain current with American Heart Association guideline recommendations. Guideline-directed management of cardiac arrest should include timely implementation of the ACLS algorithm to maximize patient outcomes.

Desired professional development pathways for clinical pharmacists.

The 2012 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Certification Affairs Committee was charged with developing guidelines for the desired professional development pathways for clinical pharmacists. This document summarizes recommendations for postgraduate education and training for graduates of U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy and describes the preferred pathways for achieving, demonstrating, and maintaining competence as clinical pharmacists. After initial licensure within the state or jurisdiction in which the pharmacist intends to practice, completion of an accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency is recommended to further develop the knowledge and skills needed to optimize medication therapy outcomes. An accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency should be completed if a pharmacist wishes to seek employment in a specific therapeutic area or practice setting, if such a residency exists. Clinical pharmacists intending to conduct advanced research that is competitive for federal funding are encouraged to complete a fellowship or graduate education. Initial certification by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) or other appropriate sponsoring organizations should be completed in the desired primary therapeutic area or practice setting within 2 years after accepting a position within the desired specific therapeutic area or practice setting. Clinical pharmacists subsequently will need to meet the requirements to maintain pharmacist licensure and board certification. Traineeships, practice-based activities, and certificate programs can be used to obtain additional knowledge and skills that support professional growth. Pharmacists are strongly encouraged to adopt a lifelong, systematic process for professional development and work with ACCP and other professional organizations to facilitate the development and implementation of innovative strategies to assess core practice competencies.

A review of oral antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the current evidence for the use of oral antiretroviral (ARV) agents in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). DATA SOURCES: A search from 1950 to April 2010 was conducted using the databases PubMed and MEDLINE with the search terms chronic hepatitis B, lamivudine, entecavir, adefovir, telbivudine, tenofovir, emtricitabine, clevudine, and pradefovir. The search was limited to trials conducted in humans that were published in the English language. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Studies were included if they evaluated the use of oral ARVs in patients with CHB infection who were not coinfected with hepatitis C, hepatitis D, or HIV. DATA SYNTHESIS: Oral ARVs have revolutionized the treatment of CHB. Studies conducted comparing ARVs have favored entecavir and tenofovir with respect to their ability to decrease hepatitis B virus DNA viral load while minimizing the development of resistance. However, low seroconversion rates, recurrent viremia when ARV therapy is discontinued, and increased resistance rates with longer treatment durations limit the benefit of oral ARVs in the treatment of CHB. Combination therapy has been a suggested solution; however, studies have yet to prove additional benefit over currently recommended monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Oral ARVs should continue to be used in the treatment of CHB; however, research is needed to define the optimal duration of therapy, evaluate the utility of combination therapy, and explore novel targets within the hepatitis B life cycle.