2013

December

  • What is the comparative efficacy of brand Plavix and generic clopidogrel bisulfate?
  • Are there data to support the use of medroxyprogesterone for postpartum hemorrhage?
  • Can dexmedetomidine be used off-label in the management of alcohol withdrawal syndromes?

November

  • What are the most recent recommendations for occupational postexposure prophylaxis(PEP)?
  • What are the safety concerns with electronic cigarettes (“e-cigarettes”),and do they have a role in smoking cessation?
  • What data are available to direct dosing of intravenous immunoglobulin G based on total versus ideal or adjusted body weight?

October

  • Should perioperative beta blockers be used to prevent cardiac complications in non-cardiac surgeries?
  • What comparative data are available for biologics in the setting of rheumatoidarthritis?
  • Is it necessary to bridge with heparin in high-risk patients before pacemaker or defibrillator surgery?

September

  • What is the recommended treatment for shivering related to therapeutic hypothermia?
  • What data support the addition of metronidazole to empiric antibiotic regimens in the treatment of aspiration pneumonia?
  • Are most classically described side effects of beta-blocker therapy in heart failure actually due to the medication?

August

  • Does the development of direct acting antivirals for hepatitis C virus mark the end of an era for treatment with interferon?
  • What evidence led to the boxed warning on hydroxyethyl starch solutions?
  • What literature is available supporting short-term use of systemic antibiotics for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia?

July

  • Does azithromycin increase the risk of cardiovascular death?
  • What safety risks prompted the labeling change that recommend against epidural administration of triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog)?
  • What is the efficacy of prothrombin complex concentrates in the management of vitamin K antagonist-related major bleeding?

June

  • What are the differences and similarities between the Medical Letter antimicrobial prophylaxis guidelines and the guidelines from ASHP/IDSA/SIS/SHEA?
  • Should zolpidem use be minimized due to increased risk of falls in hospitalized patients?
  • What are the updated guideline recommendations for management of opportunistic infections in patients with HIV?

May

  • What available alternatives are there to papaverine for the prevention and management of vasospasm during cardiac procedures?
  • What are the alternatives to alteplase for catheter clearance?
  • How do methylene blue and isosulfan blue compare for use in sentinel lymph node biopsy?

April

  • What are the differences between the recent ASCO guideline on antibiotic use for neutropenia and those from the Infectious Diseases Society of America?
  • What data are available to guide appropriate off-label use of the peripheral mu-opioid receptor antagonists, methylnaltrexone and alvimopan?
  • What are the risk factors associated with supratherapeutic dosing of acetaminophen in hospitalized patients?

March

  • What are aminophylline alternatives for the reversal of adenosine agonists used in pharmacologic stress testing?
  • What are the new recommendations for frequency of platelet monitoring in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia?
  • What are the new guidelines for the use of an insulin infusion for the management of hyperglycemia in critically ill patients?

Feburary

  • What are the updated guideline recommendations for management of pain, agitation, and delirium in critically ill adult patients?
  • Drug-induced QT prolongation (Part 2): a focus on select medications
  • What are the new clinical guidelines for the management of gastroparesis?

January

  • Does parenteral iron administration increase the risk of infection?
  • Drug-induced QT prolongation (Part 1): presentation, risks, and management
  • Should tamoxifen therapy be extended up to 10 years in women with early breast cancer?