During sedation and recovery the airway of children with obstructive sleep apnea is vulnerable to collapse. This vulnerability arises from both an inherent collapsibility of the pharyngeal airway in these children and a heightened sensitivity to sedative and anesthetic agents. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic support may be required to defend pharyngeal airway patency in children with obstruc...

Raynaud phenomenon is an overactive vascular response to cold and emotional stress that results in cutaneous color changes and sensory symptoms in the digits. It can be idiopathic (primary) or secondary to another condition; the latter can be more severe and more apt to lead to ischemic complications such as digital ulceration and even loss of digits. If nonpharmacologic interventions prove ina...

The primary strategies in managing patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are rate control, termination of the arrhythmia, and prevention of recurrences and thromboembolic events. Although there have been great advances in nonpharmacologic therapies to achieve these aims, drug therapy remains firstline treatment for patients with AF. This review briefly profiles the drugs most commonly used for...

Fatigue is a serious, QoL-limiting symptom of many neurologic conditions. Physicians should be thorough and consistent in their assessment for this problem and not let motor symptoms monopolize an office visit. Although the use of pharmacology to treat this problem has predominantly only anecdotal evidence of efficacy, several nonpharmacologic interventions may prove helpful. The directions of ...

Evidence-Based Review of Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatments for Older Adults with Schizophrenia Aricca D. Van Citters, MS, Sarah I. Pratt, PhD, Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS*, Dilip V. Jeste, MD New Hampshire-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center, 2 Whipple Place, Suite 202, Lebanon, NH 03755, USA Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Vill...

The intent of this article is to provide oncology nurses with practical information on the pharmacologic management of pain. The use of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery in pain management will not be addressed in this article. It is the second in a three-part series on cancer pain management. The first in the series (September 2006) addressed cancer pain assessment. In a future issu...