Wide-area network connecting a hospital drug informatics center with a university.

A wide-area network (WAN) connecting a new drug informatics center in a university-affiliated hospital with the university's campus-based computer network is described. In 1994 a pharmacy school developed a drug informatics center in an affiliated hospital. The center was originally designed around a local-area network (LAN) to be located at the hospital and planned to provide clients with easy access to typical productivity software and various electronic information resources. Only occasional modem connections to the university network were envisioned. However, large price increases in information retrieval systems and decreases in the cost of a frame relay connection (T1 line) to the campus network led to the installation of a WAN when the drug informatics center was established. Technical, political, and legal problems were overcome, and the connection was made. The WAN gave faculty and students at the hospital access to many of the university's computing and Internet resources. In addition, the faculty and students have access to various files and programs available only on the drug informatics center's file server at the affiliated hospital. It cost about $6500 to install all WAN equipment and maintain the frame relay for the first year, or a third of what would have been necessary for information retrieval software had a separate LAN been established at the hospital. A WAN connecting a drug informatics center and a university's computer network gave the center access to more electronic information resources at lower cost than would have been possible with a separate LAN.

Sphenopalatine ganglion block relieves symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia: a case report.

A 56 year old, white female with a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia, unresponsive to medical therapy, received a sphenopalatine ganglion block using bupivacaine 0.5%. A total of ten treatments were given. The patient remained pain free as of 30 months after initial treatment. This treatment appears to be effective and deserves further study.

Eosinophilia associated with bupropion.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the first incidence of eosinophilia following administration of bupropion. CASE SUMMARY: The patient was a 72-year-old woman admitted for evaluation of chest pain. During hospitalization, the eosinophil count reached 0.60 fraction of 1.00, with absolute eosinophil count of 6693 x 10(6)/L and a white blood cell count of 18.5 x 10(9)/L. She had been receiving bupropion therapy for 5 days prior to this admission. DISCUSSION: Potential causes of the eosinophilia, including disease states and medications, were reviewed comprehensively and ruled out. A review of the literature (MEDLINE 1966-1994) did not identify previous cases of eosinophilia associated with bupropion therapy. Causes of eosinophilia include parasitic infections, allergic diseases, and medication use. A proposed mechanism for the occurrence of eosinophilia in this patient is unknown. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the temporal sequence of events, drugs administered prior to the development of eosinophilia, and the rapid decline of the eosinophil count following discontinuation of the medication, bupropion appears to be the precipitating agent.

Planning and implementing a microcomputer local-area network.

Factors to be considered in planning and implementing a microcomputer local-area network (LAN) in a pharmacy department are discussed. Reasons for implementing a LAN include the ability to share data, programs, and peripheral devices among multiple users. The network operating system may be full featured or a peer-to-peer system. Full-featured networks require a dedicated file server but are more powerful and versatile. The file server, if used, is the most important piece of equipment. Factors that affect the choice of a file server are the processor, the bus, memory and speed, the supplier, and the power supply. It is necessary to select network adapters and wiring and to decide whether any of the department's current computer equipment will be used in the network. Decisions must also be made about software. The equipment should be set up by the computer services department or a vendor. Two or more pharmacists must be appointed and trained as supervisors to manage the network, diagnose and correct problems, perform network backup, and guard against computer viruses. Security is a major concern because of the need for confidentiality, the licensure of software for only a limited number of users, and the risk of inadvertent alteration or erasure of data. Network users must be trained to use the system properly. Department managers should consider the need to access the LAN from computers outside the department and the possible incorporation of the LAN into a wide-area network. A microcomputer LAN can provide valuable information services, but careful planning is necessary to avoid pitfalls and to ensure that the network meets current and future needs.

Subcutaneous administration of nifedipine.

Contents of a 10 mg nifedipine capsule (0.33 ml) were withdrawn by syringe and administered subcutaneously to a patient with hypertensive urgency due to misinterpretation of a physician's order. The drug apparently had its desired hypotensive effect and no adverse effects were noted. The literature on use of nifedipine in hypertensive urgency is reviewed. Subcutaneous administration is not recommended because of a lack of suitable controlled studies and the potential for adverse effects.

Transplantation of immortalized bladder epithelial cell lines in denuded mouse bladder.

The temporal and spatial regeneration of denuded mouse bladders was characterized using antibody markers to mucosal and submucosal elements in bladder tissue. Mechanical stripping of bladder mucosa resulted in a plane of cleavage in the submucosa leaving the muscle layers intact. Fully regenerated bladders were observed after 14 to 21 days although submucosal elements showed abnormal vacuolation. Implantation of immortalized epithelial cell line BBN3 into denuded bladders resulted in solid tumor formation while, in contrast, transplantation of MB331 showed cystic structures with no indication of invasion. Confirmation of the epithelial and implanted origin of cells lining the lumina of implanted bladders were shown using different keratin antibodies. The benign behavior of MB331 in vivo is suggestive of a cell line representing a preneoplastic stage in carcinogenesis and demonstrates an approach to assess the in vivo phenotype of cell parameters established in vitro.