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In this review, episodes of DKA with SGLT2i use were characterized by lower blood glucose levels and were often caused by a precipitating factor. Understanding precipitating factors for SGLT2i-related DKA may help providers better identify patients at risk for development of DKA.

Beneficiaries with higher OOP costs for the more expensive oral cancer drugs were more likely to discontinue or delay drug therapy.

The increased availability of electronic medical records and administrative health care databases is adding to the popularity of pharmacoepidemiology and outcomes research studies. Despite their availability, practitioners may be reluctant to use these databases because they lack familiarity with database research in general. The basic principles of research are the same regardless of the data source, but there are a few special considerations. When using secondary data sources for research purposes, special care must be taken to select an appropriate source to ensure that relevant information is available to answer the research question at hand. Special attention must also be paid to selecting the appropriate codes to represent the outcomes and exposures of interest; therefore, a general understanding of coding schemes is necessary. Although time may be saved by not prospectively collecting data, the process of manipulating the data for analysis in secondary databases can be complex. Analysis of data from secondary sources may require special procedures to overcome the lack of randomization. By familiarizing themselves with these special issues, practitioners can use secondary sources to conduct studies that make valuable contributions to the improvement of patient care.

Combining the ICD-9-CM code for CDI with drug therapy information increased the positive predictive value for nosocomial CDI but decreased the sensitivity.

Increasingly resistant bacteria in sickle cell disease patients indicate need to evaluate extendedspectrum cephalosporin therapy.

PIM use and higher DBI scores were associated with poor clinical outcomes and longer lengths of stay. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of PIMs and DBI on mortality in neurocritical care elderly patients.

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