Canadian critical care pharmacists are involved to varying degrees in clinical research and are very interested in initiating and supporting research activities. Opportunities are present but significant barriers exist. The value of pharmacist-initiated research needs recognition as a priority within hospital pharmacy administration.

Summary Current guidelines recommend the administration of hormonal combination therapy including immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids to donors with low left ventricular ejection fractions and to consider hormonal therapy administration to all donors. However, these recommendations are largely based on observational data. The aim of this systematic review (SR) was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of corticosteroids in brain-dead potential organ donors. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from the earliest accessible date up to March 2013 with a qualified librarian. Studies comparing the effects of any corticosteroid with those of placebo, standard treatment, or another active comparator were sought. Two independent reviewers evaluated each citation retrieved and selected studies independently and in duplicate. A third independent reviewer resolved any disagreement. Outcomes included donor haemodynamics and oxygenation, organ procurement, recipient survival, and graft survival. This review included 11 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 14 observational studies. The majority used methylprednisolone and often combined it with other hormonal therapies. Ten out of the 11 RCTs yielded neutral results. However, in observational studies, use of corticosteroids generally resulted in improved donor haemodynamics and oxygenation status, increased organ procurement, and improved recipient and graft survival. Overall quality of included studies was poor, as most of them presented high risks of confounding. This SR highlights the low quality and conflicting evidence supporting the routine use of corticosteroids in the management of organ donors. A large trial evaluating the effect of corticosteroids on outcomes such as organ recovery and graft survival is warranted.

NMBAs are high-alert medications used to manage critically ill patients. New data are available regarding the use of these agents for treatment of ALI/ARDS and status asthmaticus, management of elevated ICP, and provision of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest. To improve outcomes and promote patient safety, intensive care unit team members should have a thorough knowledge of this class of medications.

The increasing use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in critical care introduces new challenges with medication dosing. Voriconazole, a commonly used antifungal and the first-choice agent for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis, is a poorly water-soluble and highly protein-bound drug. Significant sequestration in ECMO circuits can be expected; however, no specific dosing recommendations are available. We report on the therapeutic drug monitoring and clinical evolution of a patient treated with voriconazole for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis while receiving ECMO therapy. Voriconazole trough levels were persistently low (<1 µg/mL) after initiation of ECMO despite additional loading doses and dose increases. Voriconazole dose had to be increased to 6.5 mg/kg three times daily to obtain therapeutic trough levels. The inability to achieve therapeutic levels of voriconazole for a prolonged period (a minimum of 9 days) while undergoing ECMO therapy is believed to have been a significant contributing factor in the patient’s fatal outcome. Therapeutic trough levels of voriconazole cannot be guaranteed with standard dosing in patients undergoing ECMO and much higher doses may be necessary. Empirical use of higher doses and/or combination therapy may be reasonable and frequent therapeutic drug monitoring is mandatory.

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