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Articles here reflect chapter nine of the British National Formulary and relate to nutrition and blood
Intravenous fluids: principles of treatment
October 2011
Although intravenous fluids are commonly prescribed for patients in hospital, they are often overlooked by pharmacists conducting a clinical review. This article provides some tips for reviewing fluid orders
Intravenous fluids: practical aspects of therapy
October 2011
Cystic fibrosis is a common genetic disease and, although many clinical features of the condition are respiratory, it also affects the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas and reproductive organs
Chronic kidney disease: clinical features and renal replacement therapies
January 2011Chronic kidney disease is a growing health problem. Identification of patients in the early stages of the disease allows steps to be taken that slow progression to renal failure requiring dialysis or transplantation
Chronic kidney disease: managing the complications
January 2011 Anaemia and metabolic bone disease are complications of chronic kidney disease that can appear relatively early in the course of the condition. What is the best way to manage these complications?Eating disorders: Clinical features and diagnosis
October 2010Eating disorders are common psychiatric conditions in young women and have a substantial impact on physical health and psychosocial well-being. Early identification is essential to improve outcomes
Eating disorders: Management
October 2010Although psychosocial therapies are the treatment of choice for eating disorders, some patients will need medicines
Basics of enteral nutrition in adults
July 2010 Enteral feeding is increasingly common in both primary and secondary care and a variety of products can be prescribed. Helen Campbell, Peter Turner and John Sexton give an overview of what enteral nutrition involves, the products available and special considerations needed in enterally-fed patientsBiopharmaceuticals: what pharmacists need to know
May 2010 A few biopharmaceuticals — medicines such as epoetin alfa and somatostatin — have been around for a while. But as technology progresses, numbers will increase. Similarly, as patents expire, biosimilars are set to become more widely available. Roger Tredree explains the special features of these medicines and the role pharmacists can playDiarrhoea and vomiting in a child
March 2010No matter how hygienic a household, most children will experience bouts of gastroenteritis. To complement a previous CPD article on acute diarrhoea in adults, Sarah Marshall looks at the condition in children
Parenteral nutrition in adults: the basics
September 2009With the increasing use of parenteral nutrition in hospitals, hospices and care homes, more pharmacists need to be aware of the basic issues. John Sexton, Helen Campbell, Mohamed Rahman and Peter Turner give an overview of the subject
Can I take herbal products or dietary supplements with my warfarin?
April 2009A cautious and conservative approach would be to advise patients taking warfarin to avoid all dietary supplements and herbal medicines because the theoretical risk of reducing the efficacy of warfarin (thrombosis) or of increasing its efficacy (haemorrhage) probably outweighs the unproven benefits of many of these products
Tenuous link between vitamin D and chronic pain (POEM)
April 2009Clinical question: Is vitamin D supplementation effective in the treatment of chronic pain in patients with normal serum levels or low serum levels?
Preconceptual care and advice
February 2009It is estimated that two thirds of pregnancies in the UK are planned. Would-be parents may well ask their pharmacist for advice on increasing their chances of conception and a healthy pregnancy. Debbie Barber focuses on the key issues
Parenteral replacement of fluids and electrolytes: the basics
November 2008Many conditions, from severe burns to diarrhoea, or simply an inability to drink enough fluid, can result in dangerous fluid and electrolyte losses. John Sexton and Mohamed H. Rahman explain why maintaining optimum fluid balance is essential and how it can be restored
Dealing with loss of appetite
October 2008Pharmacists advising on weight management will be familiar with people whose appetites are such that food reduction is difficult. More neglected is the subject of poor appetite and unwanted weight loss. Pam Mason gives an overview of this problem
Intravenous fluid therapy
September 2008Two articles that describe when and how IV fluids should be used and key concepts about the therapy and situations in which it is used, and describe how pharmacists can conduct treatment reviews and offers case examples showing what problems might occur
Treating acute diarrhoea in adults
August 2008
Diarrhoea is one of the most common problems on which pharmacists are consulted: about one in five people in the UK suffer an episode at least once a year. Alan Nathan gives an overview of the symptom and looks at the advice pharmacists can give
Life-long learning: Nutrition
August 2008Life-long articles on nutrition: its role in disease managment; drug nutrient interactions; prescribing parenteral nutrition (from Hospital Pharmacist, July/August 2008)
Understanding iron requirements
July 2008Pam Mason looks at iron deficiency, the most frequently encountered nutritional deficiency in the world, and haemochromatosis
Nutrition labelling
March 2008Labels on foods have long been a source of confusion for consumers. Food labelling is regulated by legislation that requires all pre-packaged food to be labelled with the name of the product, the weight, a list of the ingredients, a use-by or best-before date, the name of the manufacturer and a batch number. However, what has been the subject of more recent debate is nutrition labelling, which should be distinguished from food labelling
BNF multivitamin preparations
August 2007Pamela Mason looks at the seven multivitamin products listed in the British National Formulary
The significance of potassium
April 2007Jo Ringer and Yvette Bartlett give an overview of factors affecting potassium levels and look at the role of potassium in disease
Probiotics: are they worth taking?
March 2007Pamela Mason looks at the evidence for the benefits of ingesting “friendly bacteria”
Vitamin D — function and uses
August 2006Vitamin D has a number of essential functions in the body as well as several established clinical uses. Pamela Mason discusses the vitamin’s metabolism and interactions and looks at growing evidence of its involvement in other conditions
Physiological and medicinal zinc
March 2006The human body contains around 2g of zinc. Approximately 95 per cent of this zinc is found within cells. About 57 per cent of the body pool is stored in skeletal muscle, 29 per cent in bone and 6 per cent in skin, but zinc is found in all body tissues and fluids
Potential uses for coenzyme Q10
September 2005Neither classified as a vitamin nor as a mineral, coenzyme Q10 is exempt from the EC Directive on Food Supplements. In this article, Pam Mason gives an overview of this biochemical
Understanding sickle-cell anaemia
July 2005Quality of life and life expectancy for patients with sickle cell disease has improved considerably over the past 25 years. In 1973, their average life-span was 14 years. Now, it is closer to 50 years.
Fatty acids: which ones do we need?
November 2004Fatty acids are the main components of dietary fat and the building blocks from which body fats are made. Dietary fat is one of the most frequently investigated aspects of nutrition, but interest is increasingly turning to specific fatty acids, rather than total fat intak
Managing anaemia in renal failure
October 2004Anaemia is a common problem in chronic kidney disease , leading to substantial morbidity and mortality if untreated. Over the past decade, effective management has become possible using safer intravenous iron preparations and genetically engineered erythropoiesis-stimulating agents
Paediatric parenteral nutrition
February 2003
Adequate nutrition is essential for the survival and growth of infants
and children. Growth of the foetus, infant or child, is impaired by
nutrient deficiency. The critical period for development is during the
first few years of life, and so malnutrition in this period can have a
profound effect, with stunting of growth
Automated dispensing of parenteral nutrition formulations
February 2003Parenteral nutrition solutions are designed to provide patients with their nutritional requirements, and are composed of amino acids, glucose, lipid, electrolytes (eg, calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphate, magnesium), trace elements and vitamins. Paediatric licensed formulations are only available for children aged one year or above and they frequently provide an insufficient calorie content
Drug-food interactions
October 2002Some foods may affect the way in which the body handles medicines and therefore have the potential to either increase or decrease a drug’s therapeutic or adverse effects. Conversely, medicines may affect the way the body handles food and can influence a patient’s nutrition. The popularity of dietary supplements is increasing, and pharmacists should be aware that some supplements are contraindicated when certain drugs are taken. This article focuses on the effect of drugs on vitamins and minerals and vice versa
Slimming
July 2002Two articles that look at the limited evidence base behind some ingredients and products thought to help with weight loss and some of the popular diets that you may be asked about by people wanting to lose weight
Calcium – an update
March 2002It is difficult, though not impossible, to achieve an adequate calcium intake without consuming dairy produce. This article provides an update on this important mineral, detailing its functions and benefits together with the potential adverse effects of having too little or too much
RDAs – what do they really mean
March 2002This article outlines the evolution of nutritional thinking from the prevention of deficiency diseases to the optimisation of health with an explanation of the terminology used, including recommended daily amounts and their variants
Food allergy – A case study
March 2002Food allergy and intolerance are emerging as growing public concerns and pharmacists are well placed to offer advice
Autism – How dietary interventions could ameliorate the symptoms of autism
July 2001There has been persistent scepticism, even outright hostility, within the medical establishment to the idea that the symptoms of autism can be affected by diet. However, evidence supporting the efficacy of dietary interventions is accumulating, and pharmacists may be asked to offer a scientific explanation as to how changes to diet could help
Nutrition: Isoflavones
January 2001Isoflavones are currently being investigated for their protective role in a number of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and symptoms of the menopause. This article looks at the evidence available to support the various claims made for them
Nutrition: Probiotics and prebiotics
January 2001Probiotic bacteria have been used for many years in food preparation but are now increasingly promoted, along with prebiotics, as “functional foods”. This article looks at the evidence to support their use for a number of diseases
Nutraceuticals (eight parts)
An eight part series looking at products that are considered to be food supplements and which are taken becuase they are believed to offer specific, but, as yet, unproven, health benefits
- Nutraceuticals (1) What is a nutraceutical
- Nutraceuticals (2) Glucosamine
- Nutraceuticals (3) Octacosanol
- Nutraceuticals (4) Carnitine
- Nutraceuticals (5) Flaxseed and flaxseed oil
- Nutraceuticals (6) Proanthocyanidins and grape seed extract
- Nutraceuticals (7) Ornithine ketoglutarate
- Nutraceuticals (8) Melatonin
Enteral feeds explained
September 2001The wide range of nutritional supplements currently available can be confusing. This article explains the different types of sip and tube feeds available, highlights the patient groups that might require enteral feeds and examines potential problems that might be encountered
Vitamin and mineral supplements
September 2001For most people, supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals is not necessary and could be harmful. Pharmacists should advise people to concentrate on eating a healthy, well balanced diet rather than resorting to dietary supplementation
