RK.md -

Fentanyl (Sublimaze) is the most common synthetic narcotic I administer in the OR and the ICU. It is ~100x more potent than morphine and associated with many of the same side effects as other mu-opioid agonists - nausea, vomiting,…
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Cisatracurium (Nimbex) is a benzylisoquinolinium non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent (NMBA) that works similar to rocuronium/vecuronium as a competitive nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antagonist at the motor endplate.
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There are four classic disturbances in traditional acid-base equilibria: respiratory acidosis, respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis, and metabolic alkalosis. The body tries to compensate for a primary disturbance(s) (ie, metabolic…
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Ketorolac (Toradol) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) I use as an analgesic adjunct in the OR and ICU. In some anesthesia texts, a single dose of IV ketorolac is said to confer analgesia equivalent to 10 mg of IV morphine…
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The "NPO guidelines" (ie, 8 hours for full meals, 6 hours for light meals, 2 hours for clear liquids) have varying degrees of "evidence", but for the most part, patients are told to "eat or drink nothing after midnight." In my opinion, they…
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Ondansetron (Zofran) is a common oral and IV medication I use for post-operative nausea/vomiting prophylaxis. It works by antagonizing serotonergic (5-HT3) receptors located in peripheral vagal terminals and in the medulla's area postrema…
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Amiodarone (Pacerone) is an antiarrhythmic which works by prolonging the myocardium's refractory period through potassium channel, sodium channel, calcium channel, and beta blockade. Its side effects can be remembered by their effects on…
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Labetalol (Trandate) is one of my favorite anti-hypertensive medications in the perioperative and ICU settings! It's a "mixed" beta blocker courtesy of dual alpha and beta adrenergic antagonism conferred by different stereoisomers of the…
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A few weeks ago, I decided to create an iPhone app that would empower me to learn another programming language (Swift) to unify my interests in echocardiography and medical education. EchoTools emerged from this idea, and yesterday, it was…
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