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CPD: Nutrition and blood

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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  

Lifelong Learning

Chronic kidney disease: clinical features and renal replacement therapies

January 2011

Chronic 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

Lifelong Learning

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?

Lifelong Learning

Eating disorders: Clinical features and diagnosis

October 2010

Eating 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

Lifelong Learning

Eating disorders: Management

October 2010

Although psychosocial therapies are the treatment of choice for eating disorders, some patients will need medicines

 

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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 patients

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Biopharmaceuticals: 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 play

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Diarrhoea and vomiting in a child

March 2010

No 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

 

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Parenteral nutrition in adults: the basics

September 2009

With 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 2009

A 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 2009

Clinical question: Is vitamin D supplementation effective in the treatment of chronic pain in patients with normal serum levels or low serum levels?

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Preconceptual care and advice

February 2009

It 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 2008

Many 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

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Dealing with loss of appetite

October 2008

Pharmacists 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

Lifelong Learning

Intravenous fluid therapy

September 2008

Two 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

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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

Lifelong Learning

Life-long learning: Nutrition

August 2008

Life-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 2008

Pam Mason looks at iron deficiency, the most frequently encountered nutritional deficiency in the world, and haemochromatosis

Nutrition labelling

March 2008

Labels 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 2007

Pamela Mason looks at the seven multivitamin products listed in the British National Formulary

The significance of potassium

April 2007

Jo 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 2007

Pamela Mason looks at the evidence for the benefits of ingesting “friendly bacteria”


Vitamin D — function and uses

August 2006

Vitamin 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 2006

The 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 2005

Neither 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 2005

Quality 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 2004

Fatty 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 2004

Anaemia 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 2003

Parenteral 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 2002

Some 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 2002

Two 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 2002

It 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 2002

This 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 2002

Food 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 2001

There 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 2001

Isoflavones 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 2001

Probiotic 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

Enteral feeds explained

September 2001

The 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 2001

For 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