title: Before and After Study of Pharmacists' and Students' Knowledge of Two Novel Antidotes: High-Dose Insulin Euglycemia and Intravenous Fatty Acid Emulsion 20.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess pharmacists' and students' knowledge of high-dose insulin euglycemia (HIE) and intravenous fatty acid emulsion 20% (IFE) and to see whether it improved after an educational intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey to assess the knowledge about the use of HIE and IFE as antidotes was e-mailed to practicing pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and students prior to and following an educational intervention. Fact sheets on the antidotes were developed in conjunction with the New York City Poison Control Center and were used as the educational intervention in this study. The impact of exposure to the intervention was measured by comparing the number of correct responses per question on the pre- and posttests and the mean pre- and posttest scores using chi-square and t tests, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most respondents felt either not at all or only somewhat comfortable with managing a toxicologic emergency. There was a statistically significant difference in mean scores on the pretest and posttest (2.9 vs 5.45; P = .001) and for the number of participants giving correct responses for each question before and after education: 52.4% of respondents answered "I don't know" to the questions prior to education versus 21.2% after education (P < .001). Fewer respondents felt not at all comfortable managing a toxicologic emergency after the educational intervention (42.4 vs 50.3%; P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacists and students reported little comfort in managing toxicological emergencies in general and have limited baseline knowledge about these agents. Educational interventions can significantly improve knowledge. Prior familiarity with these newer antidotes should reduce delays in their administration in an emergency.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Clinical Professor, St. John's University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences , Jamaica, New York ; Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Mount Sinai Beth Israel , New York, New York.
authors.forename: Samantha P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jellinek-Cohen
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, St. Francis Hospital-The Heart Center , Roslyn, New York.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tolento
authors.affiliation: Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, St. John's University, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences , Jamaica, New York ; Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, New York University School of Medicine , New York, New York ; Senior Consultant in Residence, New York City Poison Center, Bellevue Hospital Center and New York University Langone Medical Center , New York, New York.
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Howland
keywords: antidotes; fact sheets; knowledge; pharmacists; survey