title: Emergency Neurological Life Support: Pharmacotherapy.
abstract: The appropriate use of medications during Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) is essential to optimize patient care. Important considerations when choosing the appropriate agent include the patient's organ function and medication allergies, potential adverse drug effects, drug interactions, and critical illness and aging pathophysiologic changes. Critical medications used during ENLS include hyperosmolar therapy, anticonvulsants, antithrombotics, anticoagulant reversal and hemostatic agents, anti-shivering agents, neuromuscular blockers, antihypertensive agents, sedatives, vasopressors and inotropes, and antimicrobials. This article focuses on the important pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and clinical pearls of these therapies, providing practitioners with essential drug information to optimize pharmacotherapy in acutely ill neurocritical care patients.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science and Neurosurgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. gbrophy@vcu.edu.
authors.forename: Gretchen M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Brophy
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Human
authors.affiliation: Departments of Critical Care Medicine, Neurology & Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shutter
mesh_terms: D004347:Drug Interactions; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000379:methods*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010599:Pharmacokinetics
keywords: Adverse drug event; Drug interaction; ENLS; Medication; Pharmacotherapy