American journal of therapeutics
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Thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis is an uncommon disorder characterized by elevated thyroid hormone, muscle weakness or paralysis, and intracellular shifts of potassium leading to hypokalemia. This article presents a case of thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis in a 22-year old Hispanic man with nonfamilial thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis triggered by a high carbohydrate diet. Laboratory studies showed elevated thyroid hormone, decreased thyroid-stimulating hormone, and hypokalemia. Rapid reduction in thyroid hormone levels by giving antithyroid drugs such as propylthiouracil and prompt potassium therapy with frequent measurements of serum potassium levels during therapy to avoid catastrophic hyperkalemia when potassium starts to shift back from intracellular to extracellular compartments can lead to successful outcome.
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Adverse drug events occur often in hospitals. They can be prevented to a large extent by minimizing the human errors of prescription writing. To evaluate the efficacy of a computerized prescription order entry (CPOE) system with the help of ancillary support in minimizing prescription errors. ⋯ Involvement of the pharmacist in reviewing the prescription and alerting the physician has minimized prescription errors to a great degree in our hospital setting. The incidence of prescription errors before the CPOE has been reported to range from 3 to 99 per 1000 prescriptions. The disparity could be due to the definition of medical errors, which has changed over the years, and also number of prescriptions included in the study and the study design.
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Metformin-associated lactic acidosis (MALA) is a serious metabolic complication that occurs because of metformin accumulation in patients who become dehydrated or developed acute renal failure. Bicarbonate hemodialysis treatment should take place early in the course of management, especially in patients with severe metabolic acidosis who fail to respond to intravenous bicarbonate therapy or in whom renal failure is present. We report a case of MALA in which acute renal failure resulting from dehydration secondary to diarrhea and poor oral intake likely caused MALA. Early recognition of this condition and initiation of effective treatment can improve outcome.
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Clinical Trial
Efficacy and safety of intrapleural instillation of alteplase in the management of complicated pleural effusion or empyema.
We investigated the efficacy and safety of intrapleural instillation of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (Alteplase) in 120 patients with complicated pleural effusion (CPE) or empyema. These 120 patients had failed simple chest tube placement and conventional medical treatment. The patients included 52 with empyema, 41 with CPE, 10 with hemothorax, and 17 with complicated malignant pleural effusions. ⋯ After Alteplase therapy, complete resolution of CPE/empyema occurred in 102 patients (85%), partial resolution in 10 patients (8%), and failure to respond in 8 patients (7%). All patients who failed to respond to Alteplase treatment had either chronic empyema or empyema associated with lung abscesses. Adverse effects of Alteplase therapy were chest pain in 7 patients (6%) and bleeding at the chest tube site in 2 patients (2%).