A Turn in the Tides

Today marked the beginning of my long-term care rotation. Yea, not that exciting. Mainly, it's just freaking cold. I froze my ass off down there today. I miss my office, I miss the sunshine, and I miss blaring my music. I think if the long-term care pharmacist heard Buckcherry, it would probably cause him to have a coronary. I'm sure it'll be fine in the end...if they get some freaking heat. Today I had to educate the nurses and physician in one of the units that metoprolol cannot be given IV push in the nursing home. Why not? Because it requires MONITORING - a concept quite abstract to the LTC arena. For example, take one of the guys I reviewed today. His potassium was 5.5 in January...and that was his last potassium. How can you stop monitoring someone when they are hyperkalemic? Sounds like a liability to me. So, monitoring isn't something that really seems important in this arena. Alas, I can handle that - just get me a heating blanket.