Correlation of activated clotting time and activated partial thromboplastin time to plasma heparin concentration.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation between activated clotting time (ACT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and plasma heparin concentration. DESIGN: Two-phase prospective study. SETTING: University-affiliated community hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty patients receiving continuous-infusion intravenous heparin. INTERVENTIONS: Measurement of ACT, aPTT and plasma heparin concentrations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Linear and log linear correlations were determined between clotting time tests and heparin concentrations. Linear correlations yielded r values of 0.58 for ACT (p=0.008) and 0.89 for aPTT (p=0.0001). Log linear correlations yielded r values of 0.60 for ACT (p=0.005) and 0.88 for aPTT (p=0.0001). A decision analysis was performed to determine possible consequences of dosage adjustments based on either test in relationship to the decision based on plasma heparin concentration. The decision analysis based on ACT disagreed with corresponding decisions based on plasma heparin concentration in 15 of 30 patients; 13 disagreements may have increased the risk of bleeding, and the other 2 may have increased the risk of thrombosis. Decisions based on aPTT disagreed with corresponding decisions based on plasma heparin concentration in 13 of 30 patients; 2 disagreements may have increased the risk of bleeding, and the other 11 may have increased the risk of thrombosis. CONCLUSION: There are significant statistical linear and log linear correlations between both clotting time tests and plasma heparin concentrations, with aPTT showing stronger correlation than ACT. However, decisions regarding heparin therapy based on ACT may increase a patient's risk of bleeding, whereas decisions based on aPTT may increase the risk of thrombus progression or rethrombosis.

The evaluation of pharmacist-technician teams applied to a satellite pharmacy.

The team work group design has been suggested as a mechanism to integrate clinical and distributive pharmacy services, expand clinical roles, enhance staff satisfaction, and promote resource efficiency. A pharmacist-technician team was created at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, and the effects of the team were assessed via pre and post data collection of attitudinal, behavioral and pharmacy service aspects. Each of three satellite teams were responsible for all pharmacy services to a target group of patients. The results of the team design include a significant decrease in pharmacist and technician perceptions of role stress, especially in the categories of role overload, role isolation, and role ambiguity, and less total hours of work lost by pharmacists (54% improved) and technicians (29% improved). The nurses perceived slightly better pharmacy services upon survey, although not statistically significant, and IV solution wastage decreased 5.6%. Clinical pharmacist compliance to standards of practice was unchanged in spite of increased supervisional responsibilities. We were able to show that the pharmacist-technician team design decreased stress and created more efficient pharmacy services.

Work group design in pharmacy: the pharmacist-technician team.

The contemporary pharmacy practice manager faces the challenge of designing pharmacy service programs that not only satisfy the needs of the patient, but at the same time satisfy and motivate the pharmacists and technicians who sustain the programs. This research examined the team design, which has been recommended but not fully described in the literature. This application did not explore the full potential of the team design in the hospital pharmacy setting. More study is needed in this area to assess the impact of work group design on the expansion of clinical programs, employee turnover rates, quality and quantity of work produced, and, most important, the impact on job satisfaction enjoyed by pharmacists and technicians.