Tag: Patient monitoring

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the standard of care includes continuously evaluating a patient's vital signs during any anesthetic. When a sticky sensor is placed on a patient's forehead during surgery, it is often for a Bispectral Index (BIS) monitor, a non-invasive tool to measure the depth of anesthesia.

While considered safe when administered by trained professionals, intravenous (IV) sedation is not without risk. Continuous monitoring and expert oversight are key to mitigating potential issues, ensuring patient well-being, and answering the question: can IV sedation go wrong?.

Although rare, severe complications from dental anesthesia are nearly unheard of, occurring in only about 3 out of every million cases. Modern dental anesthesia is exceptionally safe when administered by a trained professional, with safety measures customized for each patient's medical history and the procedure being performed.

As a "narrow therapeutic index" drug, the amount of lithium needed for a therapeutic effect is very close to a toxic dose. Due to this, the question, "is lithium considered a high risk medication?" is common, and the answer lies in understanding its potent but finely balanced nature, which requires strict oversight.

Respiratory depression is the most serious and potentially fatal side effect associated with morphine administration. This makes knowing what is the priority assessment before administering morphine a crucial step for all healthcare professionals to ensure patient safety and prevent adverse outcomes.

Medication errors involving high-alert drugs like alteplase have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of adverse events, including hemorrhagic complications. It is precisely this heightened risk of causing severe patient harm when used in error that classifies alteplase as a high-alert medication. This classification necessitates stringent protocols and vigilant monitoring to ensure patient safety and maximize therapeutic benefit while minimizing life-threatening side effects.

Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity (LAST) is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication that occurs when local anesthetics enter the systemic circulation. For healthcare providers and patients alike, recognizing what are the early signs of local anesthetic toxicity is critical for preventing a medical emergency.

Actemra (tocilizumab), a biologic that blocks the inflammatory protein IL-6, can improve symptoms in autoimmune conditions, but the timeline for effectiveness varies significantly among individuals. For those asking 'how do I know if Actemra is working?', the answer lies in monitoring both patient-reported symptoms and key laboratory markers over time, a process that requires close collaboration with a rheumatologist.

Lanreotide (brand name Somatuline Depot) is a synthetic hormone analog used for chronic conditions, with studies confirming its efficacy for years in patients with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). For those managing these long-term illnesses, the question often arises: **How long can you stay on lanreotide?**

Losartan is a widely prescribed angiotensin II receptor blocker for hypertension, with a reported incidence of minor liver enzyme elevations of less than 2% during clinical trials. While generally considered safe, the potential for drug-induced hepatotoxicity is a rare but documented risk, leading many to ask: **Can losartan raise ALT levels?**