2021-06-22 – Memory Pharm

Antibiotics that Cover MRSA

Leave a Comment / Infectious Diseases / Memory Pharm

⭐ Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an infection caused by Staphylococcus (staph) bacteria that has an oxacillin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of greater than or equal to 4 micrograms/mL. ⁠ ⁠ ⭐ MRSA infection is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections and is commonly associated with significant morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and cost burden. ⁠ ⁠ ⭐ MRSA infections can be further divided into hospital-associated (HA-MRSA) infections and community-associated (CA-MRSA) infections. They differ not only in respect to their clinical features and molecular biology but also to their antibiotic susceptibility and treatment⁠

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Drug Allergies

Leave a Comment / Miscellaneous / Memory Pharm

While any drug can cause an allergic reaction, let’s focus on the top 3 most common drug allergies:⁠⠀
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Penicillin allergies⁠⠀
Sulfa allergies⁠⠀
Opioid allergies⁠⠀
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When you realize a patient has an allergy to a medication you are about to prescribe, verify, or administer, always assess to see if the patient is TRULY allergic to the medication by:⁠⠀
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Asking what reaction they had to it⁠⠀
Determine if the reaction is a considered side effect/intolerance vs. a true allergy that is IgE mediated (anaphylaxis or angioedema) ⁠⠀
If it is a true allergy, replace the medication with an alternative drug⁠⠀
If using another agent that could potentially cross-react be sure to monitor the patient closely ⁠⠀
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Most often patients who report they have an allergy to one of these medications are truly not allergic to it but are often just intolerant to its side effects which can lead to costlier and less effective medications being used in its place. ⁠It’s important to assess the nature of the allergy and weigh the risks and benefits of using other alternatives.

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Drug Antidotes⁠ #1⠀

Leave a Comment / Miscellaneous / Memory Pharm

Antidotes are substances used to reverse the effects of poisoning. The word “antidote” itself derives from the Greek word, antidoton, meaning “administered as a remedy’.⁠⠀
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Some antidotes are used to treat one specific drug while other antidotes (ex: charcoal) can reverse the effects of many different toxins. ⁠⠀

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Drug Roots #1

Leave a Comment / Miscellaneous, Top 200 Drugs / Memory Pharm

Drug Roots #1 Read More »

Metformin (Glucophage)⁠⠀

Leave a Comment / Endocrinology, Top 200 Drugs / Memory Pharm

Metformin (Glucophage)⁠⠀ Read More »

Proton Pump Inhibitors

Leave a Comment / Gastroenterology, Top 200 Drugs / Memory Pharm

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the top 200 drugs prescribed (sometimes over-prescribed 😔) and are the strongest medications used to treat stomach acid disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or peptic ulcers. ⁠⠀
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The generics in this class all end in “prazole”, however, if you pay close attention, the brand names of these drugs also hint at what they do. See below for some examples:⁠⠀
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💊 Prilosec (omeprazole): Pr (short for proton), lo (low), sec (secretions) meaning lowered secretions of protons (acid)⁠⠀
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💊 Aciphex (rabeprazole): aci (acid), phex (fix) which means it can help fix acid problems⁠⠀
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💊 Prevacid (lansoprazole): Prev (prevent) acid ⁠⠀
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💊 Protonix (pantoprazole): Proton (acid) nix (get rid of) or in other words nix protons⁠⠀

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Short-Acting Beta-2 Agonists

Leave a Comment / Pulmonology / Memory Pharm

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Singular (Montelukast)

Leave a Comment / Pulmonology / Memory Pharm

💊 Montelukast is an oral leukotriene modifier that reduces the proinflammatory and bronchoconstriction effects of leukotrienes that occur in asthma patients or allergies. ⁠⠀
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⭐ They are not used to treat acute exacerbations and must be taken on a regular basis, even during symptom-free periods. ⁠⠀
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This medication is dosed based on age not weight and is often dosed once daily! ⁠⠀
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🧠 Memory tip: When you hear the brand name Singulair, think of the word ‘singular’ which refers to one person or thing or in this case, once a day!⁠⠀

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