Surviving Prescribing A Practical Guide

Safe and effective prescribing is one of the pillars of medical practice but is much more complicated than it seems. Many new prescribers find prescribing extremely challenging, and a plethora of independent, multidisciplinary prescribers are also seeking guidance. However, pharmacology textbooks are rarely practical. They warn to 'take care when prescribing erythromycin to a patient on warfarin, as the INR may rise'. But what should the prescriber actually do? Surviving Prescribing fulfils an important need by offering practical advice for real-world prescribing problems. The book complements existing educational resources but adds a new perspective. Written by experienced contributors from a variety of professional backgrounds, the content speaks directly to the problems routinely seen in hospital prescribing. And all in one, pocket-sized volume. Whether revising for the national Prescribing Safety Assessment, preparing for starting on the wards, or looking for a quick reference guide, this book is an essential companion.

Section 1. Introduction; 1. The basics of safe drug use Yogini Jain; Section 2. Prescribing for patient groups; 2. Prescribing in renal disease Dipty Joshi; 3. Prescribing for children Abimbola Sanu; 4. Prescribing for older patients Shirley Ip; 5. Prescribing in pregnancy Alia Husain; 6. The basic principles of prescribing and breastfeeding Alia Husain; 7. Management of the delirious (acutely confused) patient Jim Bolton; 8. Prevention of delirium tremens and management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome Rob Shulman; Section 3. Emergency prescribing; 9. Diabetic ketoacidosis Lloyd E. Kwanten; 10. Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state Lloyd E. Kwanten; 11. Hypoglycaemia Lloyd E. Kwanten; 12. Paracetamol overdose Mayur Murali; 13. Emergency prescribing in cardiology Sebastian Vandermolen and David Brull; 14. Emergency prescribing in neurosurgery Sheetal Sumaria and Lindsey Stockford; 15. Respiratory emergencies Xolani Dereck Gondongwe; 16. Pulmonary embolism Rob Shulman; 17. Electrolyte and metabolic emergencies Ned Gilbert-Kawai; Section 4. Gastronintestinal; 18. Practical prescribing in general gastroenterology Angad Singh; 19. Constipation in the adult patient Angad Singh; 20. Nausea and vomiting Angad Singh; 21. Safe prescribing in liver disease Angad Singh; 22. Practical parental nutrition Laura Hyam and Angad Singh; Section 5. Central nervous system; 23. Analgesia Suparna Bali; 24. Patient controlled analgesia Suparna Bali; 25. Epidural analgesia Suparna Bali; 26. Fit for a fit: How to treat adults with seizures Lindsey Stockford and Sheetal Sumaria; 27. Pallative care prescribing Simon Noble; Section 6. Haemotology; 28. Warfarin prescribing Bridget Coleman; 29. Parenteral anticoagulation Rob Shulman; 30. Prescribing survival guide: Direct oral anticoagulants Rosalind Byrne and Alison Brown; Section 7. Surgery; 31. Practical prescribing in the surgical patient Mayur Murali; 32. Diabetes in surgery Jessal Mitual Palan; 33. Bowel preparation Mayur Murali; Section 8. Diabetes; 34. Treating diabetes Lloyd E. Kwanten and Miriam Conway; 35. Intravenous insulin infusions Lloyd E. Kwanten; Section 9. Calculations; 36. Calculations for the prescriber Gemma Wareing; 37. Therapeutic drug monitoring Nishma Gadher; Section 10. Interactions, hypersensitivity and contraindications; 38. Drug hypersensitivities and contraindications Roman Landowski; 39. Interactions that matter Roman Landowski; Section 11. Infections and other important topics; 40. Infections Peter Wilson; 41. Deprescribing Kat Le Bosquet; 42. Electronic prescribing Samrina Bhatti; 43. Corticosteriods Rob Shulman; 44. Intravenous therapy Rob Shulman; Index.

Hugh Montgomery is Professor of Intensive Care Medicine at University College London, UK, and a practising clinician. He is on the Council of the UK Intensive Care Society and has published over 400 scientific papers.
Rob Shulman is an experienced clinical pharmacist specialising in critical care at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. He is joint author of Handbook of Drugs in Intensive Care (Cambridge, 2019).
Mayur Murali is an anaesthetic trainee and an alumnus of the National Medical Director's Clinical Fellowship at NHS England, London, UK. He has completed a Masters in Medical Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.