necessary for doctors to know doses of drugs by rote, as it is safer for the practitioner to review and check a dose prior to prescription

  not necessary for doctors to know doses of drugs by rote, as it is safer for the practitioner to review and check a dose prior to prescription. There are a number of circumstances, however, where it is necessary for the doctor to know a dose of a drug immediately. This case is therefore a chance for you to develop your own useful guide to emergency drug prescription that will prove highly useful for your role next year as an intern. The emergency drug guide should be developed to cover the following conditions: • Acute severe asthma • Anaphylaxis • Acute pulmonary oedema • Bacterial meningitis • Massive pulmonary embolism • Acute myocardial infarction • Supraventricular tachycardia • Ventricular tachycardia • Asystole • Status epilepticus • Oculogyric crisis • Severehyperkalaemia • Hypoglycaemia You may choose to develop the guide in table form, or a different format of your choice. The guide should include for each condition: • Appropriate drug choices • Doses of drug – this should include consideration of paediatric doses • Precautions with drug use • Potential drug interactions Note – this guide does not need to go into details of diagnosis or investigation of the listed conditions. The exercise is designed to facilitate you and your colleagues becoming confident in prescribing emergency drugs when faced with acute emergencies upon graduation.