In my practice as a clinical pharmacist, I see the use of fentanyl patches on pretty much a daily basis. I’ve seen numerous mistakes with fentanyl patches and wanted to put together a list of 5 dangerous mistakes. In no particular order: 1. Fentanyl patches...
68 year old male battling some knee pain tries 400 mg three times daily to help with osteoarthritis and muscle pain. This gentleman has a history of cardiac issues including congestive heart failure and recent heart attack. He is currently on a low dose of Lasix...
Quinine for leg cramps has a boxed warning in the U.S. due to potential for serious side effects like arrhythmias and thrombocytopenia. In studies, it has been shown to be ineffective for leg cramps in addition to the risks of adverse effects. I do see it used from...
Dilantin (phenytoin) is probably one of the dirtiest drugs, but is necessary as it treats an obviously serious condition (seizures). It has many clinical quirks that you need to be aware of. 72 year old female with a long history of seizures was on a maintainence dose...
76 year old male had recently had a hip fracture with surgery and was in a substantial amount of pain. Upon discharge from the hospital, he was admitted to a long term care facility for rehab. Acute pain management was the highest on the priority list and the...
I frequently have the challenge of sifting through hospital records to try to identify what’s going on with a new admission to a long term care facility. It can be a struggle to find pertinent information. Delirium frequently happens in the elderly due to...
