No abstract

The use of a 30-mL/min (0.50-mL/s) cutoff is not justified, on the basis of currently available evidence, to select individuals at increased risk of accumulation when LMW heparin is used. The pharmacokinetic response to impaired renal function may differ among LMW heparin preparations.

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Objective. To measure changes in interprofessional competencies among pharmacy and medical students following a half-day event focusing on interprofessional learning. Methods. There were 118 pharmacy students and 28 medical students who participated in the Healthcare Interprofessional Education Day (HIPED) which consisted of three stations (communication, patient interviewing, and prescribing) in which pharmacy and medical students had to work collaboratively. The standardized Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.Results. There were 133 surveys completed for a response rate of 91%. All 20 items measured by the ICCAS showed a significant improvement. The strongest effect sizes were in the collaboration, roles & responsibilities, and collaborative practice/family-centered approach categories. The least robust effects were in the conflict management/resolution category. Conclusion. The HIPED activity was an effective IPE experience. The strong and consistent improvement in all ICCAS scores suggest a framework for pharmacy and medical school training to move from siloed educational experiences to synergistic learning opportunities.

An 80-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man underwent urgent percutaneous coronary intervention and received adjunctive eptifibatide. Platelet counts in both patients fell to below 20 x 10(3)/mm3 within 4 hours of eptifibatide administration. Reports in the medical literature reinforce the importance of recognizing that eptifibatide can cause acute profound thrombocytopenia. All three available glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors--abciximab, eptifibatide, and tirofiban--have been associated with the development of this disorder. Thus, clinicians should routinely monitor platelet counts in patients receiving glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors within 2-4 hours of the start of the infusion.