Subcellular distribution of some phenothiazines in blood platelets of rabbit

Platelets incubated in plasma containing 5 times 10^?5 and 3 times 10^?4 M chlorpromazine, desmonomethylchlorpromazine or chlorpromazine sulphoxide were homogenized and fractioned by differential centrifugation. After fractionation most of the accumulated chlorpromazine and desmonomethylchlorpromazine were found in the particulate fractions, while most of the chlorpromazine sulphoxide was in the supernatant. The phenothiazines studied had a certain affinity for that fraction containing most of the platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). These phenothiazines released half of the platelet 5-HT without altering its intracellular distribution. The distribution of 5-HT was affected only by concentrations of chlorpromazine and desmonomethylchlorpromazine which released nearly all of the platelet 5-HT.     

Client and information: a literature review

Summary

• ? This paper gives a brief review of existing research studies concerning patient information.
• ? The paper outlines two relevant perspectives on information giving and on the meaning of information to the individual patient: ideological and practical.
• ? From these two perspectives the knowledge structures of four patient groups: surgical patients, cancer patients, dialysis patients and psychiatric patients are looked at more closely.

     

The connection between personnel resources with work loading and patient satisfaction on in-patient wards

Aim  The aim of the study is to describe the connection between the burden of nurses' work experience and patient dissatisfaction using electronic indicators available in databases.
Background  The hospitals in this study have a lot of information stored in electronic databases, but the data is stored in different databases and there are no straight connections between them.
Methods  This study was retrospective. Inpatient rates, workload statistics, patient classification, patient satisfaction and financial statistics were collected on 39 hospital wards from electronic databases. The data were analysed statistically.
Results  The results showed that the higher care intensity index and number of gross treatment days are, the greater was the burden on nurses. The burden was smaller on those wards using a named nurse system.
Conclusions  Nurses' workload varies according to the condition of patients and patient flow. There is a connection between high workload and patient dissatisfaction. Nurse Managers should easily be able to use significant indicators.
Implications for nursing management  Nursing management must have tools that are easy to use in every day workload measurement, burden adjustment and personnel planning in the long run. This article presents patient classification and the number of beds used including daily change percentage of wards as instruments for nursing management.     

ACCELERATION OF DELAYED GROWTH WITH FLUOXYMESTERONE

ABSTRACT. 61 boys with constitutional delay of growth and maturation, aged 9-19 years and with a bone age (BA) lag of 1.3-5.5 years, were administered fluoxymesterone (0.05-0.24 mg/kg daily orally, relative dose increasing with age) to accelerate growth. The therapy was continuous and lasted 0.4-3.6 years. The findings are compared with 37 observation periods in a similar group of untreated boys. Growth velocity increased in every treated boy during the therapy, the mean first-year increment being 4.3±1.6 cm/year. For most boys this brought about a decrease in the height difference from peers, and so afforded the psychosocial relief that was the objective of the therapy. After therapy the velocity decreased slightly hi most boys, from a mean of 9.1±1.4 to 7.1±3.3 cm/year. The effect of the intervention on final height was assessed by three relatively independent methods of prediction. These were found to be equally valid in the 15 control boys for whom final heights are known. The effect appeared to vary individually, but on the average there appeared to be no loss of height potential. No individual boy with initial BA>10.5 years showed a substantial reduction in predicted final height.     

Caries preventive effect of fluoride varnish applications performed two or four times a year

Abstract – The efficacy of Duraphat varnish applications performed two or four times a year was compared in a 2-yr clinical trial. 254 children aged 9-13 yr and having higher than average DMFS values participated in the study. The children were randomly divided into two treatment groups. Clinical and radiographical examinations were performed at baseline and after 2 yr by one dentist. For the group receiving applications every 3 months, the 2-yr DMFS increment was 2.90 (SD 4.45) and for the group receiving applications every 6 months, 2.92 (4.47). There were no significant differences in DMFS increments between the groups for any type of tooth surfaces. Neither was there any difference between the groups when the children were divided into two subgroups on the basis of baseline DMFS values. The increments for the children with high (10) baseline DMFS values were 4.25 (4.81) and 4.30 (5.53) in the groups receiving applications four times and twice a year, respectively. The results suggest that fluoride varnish applications performed more frequently than twice a year may not provide additional caries protection in a population with relatively low caries activity.     

Three-year report on caries prevention using fluoride varnishes for caries risk children in a community with fluoridated water

Abstract – The Benifit of seminnual application of the sodium fluoride varnish Duraphat^(R) and the silane fluoride varnish Fluor Protector^(R) was studied in 11–13-year-old children with high caries activity and lifelong exposure to fluoridated drinking water (1–1.2 parts/10⁶). Annual clinical and radiographic examinations were made of 62 children in the Duraphat group and 70 children in the Fluor Protector group. Fluoride varnish was applied semiannually using the half-moth technique. After 3 years, for the Duraphat group mean total DMES increments on the control side were 6.2 and on the test side 4.3 ( P <0.001); for the Fluor Protector group the DMES increments were 4.9 and 4.4, respectively (NS). The caries reductions were 30% and 11%. Since ther were no differences between initial mean DMES scores of the groups, it is possible that the lower increment in the Fluor Protector control side compatred to the Duraphat control side was due to fluoride ions from Fluor Protector crossing the midline and providing protection on the control side as well. Therefore, we conclude that Duraphat proved effective, but definite conslusion of the effect of Fluor Protector cannot be made. Children with the highest DMES increment on the control side (duraphat) gained most from the applications.     

GROWTH IN TURNER'S SYNDROME: SPONTANEOUS AND FLUOXYMESTERONE STIMULATED

Abstract. Lenko, H. L., Perheentupa, J. and Söderholm, A. (The Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland). Growth in Turner's syndrome: spontaneous and fluoxymesterone-stimulated. Acta Paediatr Scand, Suppl. 277: 57, 1979.-Spontaneous growth was analysed in a group of 55 girls with Turner's syndrome and various karyotypes. Their variation in height and its dependence on parental height were similar to that of normal girls. At all ages, the 45, X karyotype was associated with slightly greater mean stature than the other karyotypes together. The bone ages lagged progressively behind from 10 years onwards. Twenty-five patients aged between 9.1 and 17.2 years were given fluoxymesterone, 0.06–0.17 mg/kg daily, for at least 1 year. Their height velocities increased significantly. This brought about a clear psychological benefit. Their final heights were predicted before and after therapy, with a new method based on the spontaneous growth and bone maturation of our patients. The response was individually variable but, on average, the patients gained in predicted height from the therapy. This effect was not lost during a posttreatment year. Abnormal lowering of the voice occurred in patients receiving ≥=0.15 mg/kg fluoxymesterone daily, but never with ≤0.13 mg/kg. No other adverse effects appeared. Thus, fluoxymesterone is useful for promoting growth in girls with Turner's syndrome.     

Random capillary whole blood glucose test as a screening test for diabetes mellitus in an elderly population

We assessed the adequacy of the random capillary whole bloodglucose (RCBG) test as a screening test for estimating the prevalenceof diabetes mellitus in an elderly Finnish population (aged70 years or over). Both the screening test and a standard 2h oral glucose tolerance test made according to the WHO criteriawere administered to all participants. By using a cut-off pointof 7.4 mmol/l for men, 7.1 mmol/l for women and 7.2 mmol/l forthe total population, the RCBG test determined the prevalenceof diabetes accurately. The prevalence determined by the RCBGtest was 25.8% (men 21.0% and women 28.6%) and that determinedby the 2 h oral glucose tolerance test 26.1% (men 21.7% andwomen 28.6%). The study also indicated that the RCBG levelselevated with the increase of the severity and duration of diabetesand with the presence of hypertension. The conclusion is thatthe RCBG test with a proper cut-off point is an optimal testfor the estimation of the prevalence of diabetes and that theother properties of the test should be assessed according tothe clinical outcomes and later signs of the disease.