Toxicology
This rapid-acting, high-potency typical antipsychotic is frequently utilized alongside intramuscular droperidol for acute agitation in the emergency department.
What is haloperidol?
This automated technology uses barcode scanning at the bedside to verify that the correct patient is receiving the correct medication, dose, and route right before administration.
What is Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA)?
When calculating the area under the curve (AUC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio for Vancomycin monitoring, this target is standard for severe MRSA infections.
What is 400 to 600 mg·h/L?
This standard crystalloid fluid is considered " isotonic" with human plasma, containing 154 mEq/L of sodium and 154 mEq/L of chloride.
What is 0.9% Sodium Chloride (Normal Saline)?
This famous carbonated soft drink was originally invented in 1886 by an Atlanta pharmacist named John Pemberton as a medicinal tonic containing coca leaves and kola nuts.
What is Coca-Cola?
The classic antidote used to reverse acetaminophen toxicity, most effective when administered within 8 hours of ingestion.
What is N-acetylcysteine (NAC)?
To prevent fatal administration errors, ISMP strongly recommends using Tall Man lettering for look-alike, sound-alike (LASA) drug names—such as writing DOPamine and this similar-sounding vasopressor distinctly.
What is DOBUTamine?
This cyclic lipopeptide disrupts the bacterial cell membrane potential, but is inactivated by pulmonary surfactants, making it useless for pneumonia.
What is daptomycin?
This term describes intravenous solutions (such as 5% Dextrose in Water or 0.45% Sodium Chloride) that have a lower effective osmolality than serum, causing fluid to shift out of blood vessels and into cells.
What are hypotonic fluids?
The infamous DEA form required to order and transfer Schedule II controlled substances.
What is DEA Form 222?
This classic toxidrome—characterized by mydriasis, tachycardia, hyperthermia, dry flushed skin, and urinary retention—is typically caused by anticholinergic agents like atropine or diphenhydramine.
What is "blind as a bat, mad as a hatter, red as a beet, hot as a hare, dry as a bone"?
Will also accept: Anticholinergic toxidrome
To prevent fatal wrong-route administration errors—such as inadvertently giving an oral medication intravenously—modern safety standards mandate that these specific delivery devices are prohibited from stocking or connecting to IV lines.
What are oral syringes (or enteral syringes)?
This practice involves streamlining or narrowing therapy from broad-spectrum empiric coverage down to a targeted narrow-spectrum agent once final culture and susceptibility results return.
What is de-escalation?
When preparing a continuous insulin infusion, if you add 100 units of regular insulin to 100 mL of 0.9% Sodium Chloride, this is the final concentration of the solution in units/mL.
What is 1 unit/mL?
This universally recognized medical symbol features a staff entwined with two serpents, topped by a pair of wings, often mistakenly used instead of the single-serpent Rod of Asclepius.
What is the Caduceus?
Cocaine toxicity can frequently lead to this acute muscle breakdown condition characterized by elevated creatine kinase and a high risk of acute tubular necrosis.
What is rhabdomyolysis?
This systematic, multidisciplinary investigation technique is conducted after a sentinel event or severe error to look backward and identify the underlying systemic root causes rather than placing individual blame.
What is a Root Cause Analysis (RCA)?
This specific pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target index is the primary predictor of clinical and microbiological success for beta-lactam antibiotics like piperacillin-tazobactam.
What is percent time above the minimum inhibitory concentration (%T > MIC)?
When calculating a continuous infusion rate, if a patient weighs 70 kg and requires a medication dosed at 2 mcg/kg/min using a concentration of 1 mg/mL, this is the resulting flow rate in mL/hr.
What is 8.4 mL/hr?
Calculation: 70 kg * 2 mcg/kg/min * 60 min/hr = 8,400 mcg/hr = 8.4 mg/hr
This popular cough syrup brand, originally introduced by Richardson-Merrell, shares its name with a fictional mountainous home of the Grinch.
What is Vicks VapoRub / NyQuil / Mt. Crumpit?
Will also accept: Vicks
In severe tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) overdose presenting with a widened QRS interval on an ECG, this targeted intervention is administered to overcome sodium channel blockade.
What is sodium bicarbonate?
When managing high-alert medications in a health-system, institutions utilize standardized concentrations and Smart Pumps equipped with this safety software containing pre-set dosing limits and guardrails.
What is Dose Error Reduction System (DERS)?
This broad-spectrum carbapenem antibiotic is often reserved for resistant gram-negative infections, but lacks reliable coverage against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
What is ertapenem?
This specific pharmacokinetic equation calculates a maintenance dose by multiplying the desired target steady-state concentration by clearance, and dividing by this decimal representing the fraction of the drug absorbed.
What is bioavailability (F)?
This ubiquitous prescription-filling symbol (Rx) is historically derived from the astrological sign for this ancient Roman deity.
Who is Jupiter?