H yperkalemia (serum potassium ≥5.1 mEq/L), if left untreated, may result in cardiac arrhythmias, severe muscle weakness, or paralysis. 1,2 Insulin administration can rapidly correct hyperkalemia by shifting serum potassium intracellularly. 3 Treatment of hyperkalemia with insulin may lead to hypoglycemia, which, when severe, can cause confusion, seizures, loss of consciousness, and death. The use of regular and short-acting insulins to correct hyperkalemia quickly in hospitalized patients results in the greatest risk of hypoglycemia within three hours of treatment. 4 Nonetheless, monitoring blood glucose levels within six hours of postinsulin administration is not a standard part of hyperkalemia treatment guidelines, 3 leaving the rates of hypoglycemia in this setting poorly characterized.Without standardized blood glucose measurement protocols, retrospective studies have reported posttreatment hypoglycemia rates of 8.7%-17.5% among all patients with hyperkalemia, 5,6 and 13% among patients with end-stage renal disease. 4 These estimates likely underestimate the true hypoglycemia rates as they measure blood glucose sporadically and are often outside the three-hour window of highest risk after insulin administration.At the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSFMC), we faced similar issues in measuring the true hypoglycemia rates associated with hyperkalemia treatment. In December 2015, a 12-month retrospective review revealed a 12% hypoglycemia rate among patients treated with insulin for hyperkalemia. This review was limited by the inclusion of only patients treated for hyperkalemia using the standard orderset supplied with the electronic health record system (EHR;

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Background Virtual Reality (VR) is used as an effective tool for distraction and as an adjunct for pain management. This study was conducted to compare VR to standard iPad use after surgery and examine its effect on pain score and opioid consumption. Methods This was a randomized controlled study, with stratification by surgery type, age group (7-12yo, 13-18yo) and gender. Pain and anxiety were assessed with validated scales (STAI, FACES, VAS, FLACC) and outcomes were compared between each group. Results 50 of the 106 enrolled patients used the VR device. After adjusting for age, gender, and STAI, patients had a decreased FLACC score while using the VR device compared to the iPad group (odds ratio 2.95, P = .021). The younger patients were found to have lower FLACC scores while using the VR device (odds ratio 1.15, p=0.044); this finding was most significant when patients used the VR device for 20-30 minutes (odds ratio 1.67, P = .0003). Additionally, after adjusting for treatment group, gender, and STAI, the younger patients had higher odds of withdrawal or exclusion from the study (odds ratio 1.18, P = .021). No significant difference in opioid consumption between the groups was found. Discussion Virtual reality was well tolerated and more effective in decreasing pain during the immediate postoperative period than iPad use. Despite a slightly higher withdrawal rate, younger patients benefited more from the intervention.

Dexmedetomidine arousal and discharge times observed at UNC were longer than anticipated when compared to literature. The safety profile of the drug was comparable to prior studies.