Question Of The Day

Historical QOD 2/10/2009: The following terms are synonyms for what drug often used for its recreational and stimulant properties: Qat, Gat, Muhulo, Musitate, Tschat and Miraa? These are synonyms for Khat (Catha edulis). Cathinone is the main stimulant found in Khat leaves. Bentur Y, Bloom-Krasik…

Which characteristic of a drug makes it a good candidate for removal via Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS) therapy?  A. High protein binding B. Small molecular size C. Large volume of distribution D. High lipid solubility High protein binding Beyls C, Malaquin S, Huette P,…

In a review of 25 case reports of phenibut (β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid) withdrawal, what were most commonly used medications to treat withdrawal symptoms? Benzodiazepines (not otherwise specified) were most common in 17 of 25., followed by baclofen (β-(4-chlorophenyl)-γ-aminobutyric acid) in 14 of 25), and antipsychotics (NOS)…

Package inserts of thiazide diuretics often cite a risk of developing hyponatremia as less than 1%. In a large prospective trial conducted in Denmark comparing various treatments for hypertension (calcium channel blockers vs thiazides vs thiazides + renin-angiotensin inhibitors), what was the cumulative incidence of…

In a study that compared using AWAT and CIWA-Ar scores to assess severity of alcohol withdrawal, in what percent of patients did the two scores result in the same conclusion for the need for treatment? 58% of the time, the scores resulted in the same…

Historical QOD 2/6/2009: What are the constituents of Intrlipid 20%? Intralipid 20% is composed of 20% soybean oil, 1.2% egg yolk phospholipids, 2.25 % glycerin and water. Corman SL, Skledar SJ. Use of lipid emulsion to reverse local anesthetic-induced toxicity. Ann Pharmacother. 2007 Nov;41(11):1873-7. doi:…

Spectral properties of bilirubin can interfere with co-oximetry measurements. Bilirubin also interferes with peroxidase coupled reactions such as for total cholesterol and triglycerides, and in Jaffe or enzymatic creatinine measurements. Total bilirubin concentrations of less than 10 g/dL do not generally impact testing to a…

In a study involving subacute diethylene glycol toxicity in mice, a subset of the subjects developed acute renal failure. In mice that developed renal failure, what other organ system showed signs of toxicity? Neurotoxicity developed in mice that developed renal failure secondary to diethylene glycol,…

What medication should be avoided in a patient with hydrocarbon poisoning due to the potential for contributing to the development of cardiac dysrhythmias? According to the cited reference, epinephrine should be avoided in a patient with hydrocarbon poisoning as it may contribute to development of…

A 25-year-old patient presents with severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and confusion after ingesting an unknown substance. Blood tests reveal metabolic acidosis and an elevated anion gap. His urine sample demonstrates the presence of needle-shaped, birefringent crystals under polarized light. Which substance has the patient likely…