Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

New Intravenous Antibiotics: A Focused Pharmacotherapy Update, Kathryn A. Connor

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens are increasing throughout the world, in particular due to the emergence of resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumonia, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter spp, extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL) producing enteric organisms, etc. These serious pathogens are a major cause of severe hospital and community-acquired infections and are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Several new parenteral antibiotics have been approved in the past several years to help treat these infections, including telavancin, doripenem, tigecycline and daptomycin. This article reviews the pharmacology and limitations of these new antibiotics in treating infections in …

Resolution Of Clinical Signs Of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia In Trauma Patients, Kathryn A. Connor, Joseph M. Swanson, Bradley A. Boucher, G. Christopher Wood

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Objectives: The ATS/IDSA Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) guidelines suggest that clinical improvement of VAP should be apparent within 3–6 days. This study evaluated resolution of clinical signs of VAP in trauma patients after diagnosis.

Methods: Critically injured adults admitted to the trauma intensive care unit (ICU) from June 1, 2006, to December 31, 2007, and subsequently given a diagnosis of VAP were retrospectively assessed. Clinical signs, including derangements of maximum temperature (Tmax), white blood cell (WBC) count, and PaO2/FiO2, were evaluated on days 1–16 after VAP diagnosis. Data are presented as mean ± SD unless otherwise stated. Clinical parameters after VAP …

Stability Of Extemporaneously Prepared Rufinamide Oral Suspensions, David Hutchinson, Yayin Liou, Robert Best, Fang Zhao

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

Background:

Rufinamide is an oral antiepileptic drug indicated for adjunctive therapy in treating generalized seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Currently, rufinanide is available as 200-mg and 400-mg tablets. A liquid dosage form does not exist at the present time. Lack of a suspension formulation may present an administration problem for many children and adults who are unable to swallow tablets. The availability of a liquid dosage form will provide an easy and accurate way to measure and administer the medication.

Objective:

To determine the stability of both sugar-containing and sugar-free rufinamide suspensions over a 90-day period.

Methods:

A suspension of …

Resolution Of Clinical Signs In Trauma Intensive Care Unit Patients Following Diagnosis Of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, Kathryn A. Connor, Joseph M. Swanson, G. Christopher Wood, Bradley A. Boucher, Louis J. Magnotti

Pharmacy Faculty/Staff Publications

PURPOSE: The ATS/IDSA Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) guidelines suggest that clinical improvement of VAP should be apparent within 3-6 days. Anecdotally, such improvement has not been noted in trauma patients at our institution. The current study was conducted to evaluate resolution of clinical signs of VAP following diagnosis.

METHODS: Critically injured adults admitted to the trauma intensive care unit (TICU) from 6/1/06-12/31/07 and subsequently diagnosed with VAP were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical signs, including derangements of maximum temperature (Tmax), white blood cell (WBC) count and Pa02/FiO2, were evaluated on days 1-16 following VAP diagnosis. Data are presented as mean ± SD unless …