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Biomedical subjects

R P Rockwood

Publications and source records attributed to R P Rockwood.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Haloperidol-induced torsade de pointes.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of torsade de pointes related to the administration of high-dose intravenous haloperidol for the treatment of severe agitation. CASE SUMMARY: Reports in the literature of intravenous haloperidol-induced torsade de pointes are rare. We describe the case of a 41-year-old white woman with no predisposing factors who developed torsade de pointes 55 minutes after a dose of intravenous haloperidol 80 mg (total dosage 915 mg over 7 d). The results of the electrocardiogram were consistent with torsade de pointes and showed a prolonged QTc interval of 610 milliseconds. Intravenous magnesium sulfate 2 g/100 mL NaCl 0.9% was administered, which controlled the arrhythmia. The patient received one additional 80-mg haloperidol dose six hours after the arrhythmia-triggering dose, without reoccurrence of torsade de pointes. Haloperidol was then discontinued, and the patient had no further arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS: Our case report and others from the literature suggest that intravenous haloperidol administration may prolong QT intervals in some patients, precipitating the potentially life-threatening arrhythmia torsade de pointes. Clinicians should be aware of haloperidol's potential to induce torsade de pointes, since it is used regularly for agitation and delirium in the critical care arena.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Beneficial effect of a pharmacist refill evaluation clinic.

A study of 32 patients attending a pharmacist-run clinic was performed. This pharmacist refill evaluation clinic (PREC) assesses the continuation of maintenance drug therapy and is an alternative to the physician's clinic. This study evaluated total time spent at the clinic, reasons for refill requests, number of refills requested, number of requested refills approved, and number of physician consults and referrals required. The total clinic visit time at the PREC was 60 +/- 35.9 minutes versus a total time required at physicians clinic of 129 +/- 115.2 minutes. Of the patients treated at the PREC, 90.6% required no physician consult or referral. An estimated $135 savings in drug cost was approximated by the clinic during this small sample (a 30-day study), plus a difference in clinic fee that would amount to $1120 not including the difference in the pharmacist and physician's salaries. Other contributions attributed to this clinic were better patient compliance, accurate documentation of medication records, drug abuse surveillance, and drug therapy efficacy.

Ambulatory Care↗