CP, 2012

Acute kidney injury: diagnosis, staging and prevention

Prevention and early recognition of acute kidney injury can improve outcomes for those affected. Pharmacists can help to review patients whose renal function is at risk of rapid deterioration…

How to prevent and manage postoperative nausea and vomiting

Postoperative nausea and vomiting is common. Prophylactic antiemetics should be administered before surgery and, if symptoms occur despite this, treatment targeting a different receptor can also be given.…

Gout: clinical features and diagnosis

During an attack of gout, a person will experience excruciating pain, redness and swelling in one or more peripheral joints. The condition is caused by deposition of urate crystals in the affected joints.…

Gout: managing gout and hyperuricaemia

Managing gout involves alleviating the pain of an attack and preventing episode recurrence and complications.…

Strengthening the medicines safety agenda in paediatric critical care

Children and seriously ill patients are at high risk of medicines errors, so it seems obvious that safety is a particular focus in paediatric intensive care units. Here a consultant pharmacist describes her role…

Managing epilepsy: what pharmacists need to know

This content was published in 2012. We do not recommend that you take any clinical decisions based on this information without first ensuring you have checked the latest guidance. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder. The annual incidence is estimated to be 50 per 100,000 people and the pr…

Antidepressant choice for patients with epilepsy

Depression is increased in people with epilepsy, with a lifetime prevalence of about 30%. Patients with epilepsy are three times more likely to be prescribed an antidepressant than the general population and twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts.…

Prescribing errors before and after introduction of electronic charts

Mistakes occur at all stages of prescribing, from the decision to use a medicine to writing it correctly and legibly — including calculating or selecting the correct dose or dosage form. At the decision stage, knowledge of the patient’s history of medicines use and any previous adverse d…

Ten years on, has e-prescribing of cancer regimens improved safety?

This study was conducted to assess whether or not introduction of an electronic system for prescribing cancer regimens improved patient safety.…