The majority of MCM-related tweets by onsite and remote Twitter users were social in nature or pertained to educational sessions held over the course of the conference.
Several pharmacokinetic studies have suggested that dabigatran possesses a number of ideal properties for expedited removal via extracorporeal methods. However, this practice has not been prospectively evaluated in patients with life-threatening bleeding or requiring emergency surgery secondary to dabigatran-associated coagulopathy. The purpose of this literature review is to evaluate the published evidence surrounding extracorporeal removal of dabigatran in the setting of emergency surgery or life-threatening bleeding. A query of MEDLINE, Web of Science, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and Google Scholar using the terms dabigatran, dabigatran etexilate, hemodialysis, renal replacement therapy, hemorrhage, and atrial fibrillation was used to retrieve relevant literature. Furthermore, a manual search of the references of the identified literature was performed to capture additional data. Current evidence suggests that extracorporeal removal of dabigatran may play a role in the setting of life-threatening bleeding and emergent surgery. Conflicting evidence exists with regard to the potential for redistribution based on serum dabigatran concentrations. In addition, a number of practicalities must be considered before incorporating this technique in the clinical setting. Extracorporeal removal of dabigatran may be a treatment modality in selected patients who require emergency reversal.
Background The Food and Drug Administration issued a drug safety alert highlighting the potential association of docetaxel infusion with signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication. This concern is significant because patients treated with docetaxel often have comorbidities and are prescribed concomitant centrally active medications. As a result, these patients may be at risk for iatrogenic events. Objective The objective of this study was to identify a correlation with docetaxel infusion and saliva ethanol concentration using a point-of-care ethanol test. Methods In this pilot study, ethanol concentrations were measured using a validated saliva ethanol test in patients receiving intravenous docetaxel as part of their chemotherapy regimen. Both ethanol dose and infusion rate were calculated based on the amount of the specific docetaxel product administered. Saliva ethanol concentrations were measured at baseline, immediately after infusion completion, and at 30 and 60 min postinfusion. Results A total of 17 patients were included in the analysis. The mean ethanol dose administered was 2.6 ± 0.5 g of ethanol per infusion of docetaxel with a mean infusion rate of 3.2 ± 0.7 ml of ethanol per hour. At baseline, immediately after infusion, and 30 and 60 min postinfusion, all patients had a saliva ethanol test result of 0 mg/dl. Conclusion Based on this small pilot study, the prediction of patients who will experience ethanol intoxication using a point-of-care saliva ethanol test based on the docetaxel dose administered is challenging. This observation requires confirmation in larger and more heterogeneous populations.
Background: Social media (SoMe) platforms such as blogs, Twitter, and Facebook are increasingly becoming incorporated into education and scientific communities. In fields such as emergency medicine, clinicians have established communication channels through SoMe to engage in academic and clinical discussions for the purposes of professional growth. While the use of SoMe as an educational tool within the classroom has been previously described, its use as a professional tool has not been adequately investigated. Objective: To assess the perception of SoMe as an academic tool among deans of accredited health care professional schools in the United States. Methods: An electronic cross-sectional survey was distributed to deans of accredited medical, nursing, and pharmacy schools across the United States to assess the knowledge of SoMe, attitudes toward academic merit, and challenges to incorporating SoMe into scholarly activity. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Of 188 responses (response rate = 22%), 162 (86%) agreed publication in a peer-reviewed journal ranked highest in academic merit, followed by publishing in medical Web sites (157, 84%), publication in a university-based newsletter (147, 78%), and personal medical education blog (150, 80%). Fifty-one (31%) of respondents stated that volume of viewership would improve academic merit, while 85 (52%) believed a peer-review process would improve academic merit. Conclusion: Although professional SoMe activities should not replace traditional publications, the result of this study suggest establishing a peer-review process to improve validity of such activities.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.