| This pocket-sized reference book is a practical resource for palliative
care generalists and specialists and is available at an affordable price.
The book gathers together information on continuous subcutaneous infusions,
the operation of syringe drivers, symptom control and palliative care,
syringe-driver medicines.
This, second edition, includes a greatly expanded section on drug compatibility,
additional referenced drug monographs and details of newer syringe-driver
devices.
The information in the first chapter on
infusion-site reactions and the discussion of potential outcomes when
medicines are mixed in a syringe, is particularly helpful to those pharmacists
working in palliative care who are frequently asked about these issues.
The compatibility data tables in the final section contain an extensive
list of physical and chemical stability data relating to two-, three-,
four- and five-drug combinations in a single syringe. This information
comes from referenced stability studies and from the clinical observations
of the authors. This is possibly the most useful section of the book
as data of this sort is difficult to find. The authors note that the
physical stability data can only serve as an indicator of stability and
may not apply in all situations. Regular checking of any unfamiliar subcutaneous
syringe-driver combinations while in use is advisable.
I recommend this handbook for pharmacists working in any care setting
where syringe drivers are used for symptom control.
Dorothy McArthur (is a clinical pharmacist
working in palliative care at Marie
Curie Hospice and St Columba’s Hospice, Edinburgh)
|
The
Pharmaceutical Journal