Effects of instruction by practice assistants on inhaler technique and respiratory symptoms of patients. A controlled randomized videotaped intervention study

BACKGROUND: Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseuse their medication inhalers incorrectly. General practitioners,pharmacists and other health care providers do not always havethe opportunity to instruct patients in correct inhaler technique. OBJECTIVE: To find out whether the inhaler technique and respiratory symptomsof patients can be improved after instruction by practice assistants. METHODS: Single blind, randomized intervention study in which 48 patientswho had been using a dry powder inhaler for at least one monthtook part. Their inhaler technique was videotaped on two visitswith a two-week interval between visits. The inhaler techniqueon the videos was subsequently scored by two experts on ninecriteria. At both visits the patients completed a questionnaireabout their respiratory symptoms. After the first video, 25patients were randomly chosen to receive instruction from oneof six practice assistants who had followed a one evening courseabout inhaler instruction, and who had been issued an instruction-set. RESULTS: The patients who received instruction had a significantly greaterreduction in number of mistakes at the second visit than thepatients who did not (P = 0.01). The instructed patients alsoreported less dyspnoea at the second visit (P = 0.03). No effectof instruction was found on wheezing, cough and sputum production. CONCLUSION: The inhaler technique of patients can be improved significantlyby the instruction of patients by trained practice assistants,possibly resulting in less dyspnoea. Keywords. Administration-inhalation, obstructive lung diseases, airways symptoms, patient-education, general practice.     

Emmetropic eye growth in East Asians and non-East Asians

Purpose

To compare axial length (AL) growth curves in East Asian (EA) and non-EA emmetropes.

Methods

A meta-regression of 28 studies with emmetrope-specific AL data (measured with optical biometry) was performed. Emmetropia was defined as spherical equivalent refraction (SER) between −0.50 and +1.25 D, determined under cycloplegia if the mean age was ≤20 years. The AL growth curve (mean AL vs. mean age) was first fitted to the full dataset using a weighted nonlinear mixed-effects model, before refitting the model with ethnicity as a two-level grouping variable (EA vs. non-EA). Ethnic differences in growth curve parameters were tested using the Wald test.

Results

A total of 3331 EA and 1071 non-EA emmetropes (mean age: 6.5–23.1 years) were included. There was no evidence of an ethnic difference in either final AL (difference: 0.15 mm, 95% CI: −0.04 to 0.35 mm, p = 0.15) or initial AL, as represented by the amount that the final AL needed to be offset to obtain the y-intercept (difference: −2.77 mm, 95% CI: −10.97 to 5.44, p = 0.51). Likewise, AL growth rate (curve steepness) did not differ between ethnic groups (difference: 0.09, 95% CI: −0.13 to 0.31, p = 0.43). Collectively, AL growth rate decreased from 0.24 mm/year at 6 years of age to around 0.05 mm/year at 11 years of age, after which it dipped below the repeatability of optical biometry (±0.04 mm) and practically plateaued around 16 years of age (final AL: 23.60 mm).

Conclusions

EA and non-EA emmetropes have comparable AL growth curves.     

黄柏及中成药中小檗碱和巴马亭的高效液相色谱法测定

本文以正相高效液相色谱法,用窗口图解技术对色谱条件进行了优化。对黄柏及其中成药中的有效成分——小檗碱、巴马亭的提取、测定条件、标准曲线进行了研究。并对两种含黄柏的中成药样品进行了分析。其中小檗碱的回收率均在97%以上,巴马亭的回收率均在96%以上。     

Adverse reactions to xenon-enhanced CT cerebral blood flow determination

Fourteen institutions performed 1,830 computed tomographic (CT) cerebral blood flow (CBF) examinations with 32% inhaled stable xenon. Respiratory rate delay greater than 10 seconds occurred in 3.6% of patients, with 83% of the delays lasting 10-15 seconds. There was no incident of prolonged respiratory difficulty. Headache (0.4%), seizures (0.2%), nausea and vomiting (0.2%), and change in neurologic status (0.1%) were uncommon, and there were no transient ischemic attacks. The CT CBF method with 32% inhaled stable xenon is thus associated with an acceptably low incidence of adverse reactions.     

Determination of blood ionized calcium in a large segment of the normal adult population.

In two different laboratories ionized calcium was determined by use of a calcium selective electrode system of recent design in specimens of whole blood drawn from a total of 100 volunteers. Identical mean values were obtained in each laboratory. A small standard deviation was found supporting the view that [Ca2+] is normally maintained within a narrow range. Ancillary factors in [Ca2+] determination were evaluated, including effects of in-vivo produced changes in pH, and effects of addition of small amounts of heparin to the whole blood sample. A veno-arterial difference in [Ca2+] was insignificant.     

Evaluation of coccygeal bone variability, intercoccygeal and lumbo-sacral angles in asymptomatic patients in multislice computed tomography

The coccyx is a highly variable structure in the human caudal spine. Previous studies have revealed a significant correlation between coccyx shape and the pain syndrome coccygodynia. The aim of this study was to carry out a complex morphological evaluation of the coccyx in a group of asymptomatic patients of different sex and age examined by multislice computed tomography (MSCT) of the pelvis for different clinical reasons. MSCT pelvis examinations from various nontraumatic clinical conditions from consecutive adult patients (250 males and 250 females of comparable age, mean 54.9 ± 14.8 years) were used. Based on middle sagittal plane reconstructions: coccyx configuration (types I–IV according to Postacchini and Massobrio classification, each successive type characterized by a more pronounced anterior position of coccyx), number of segments, length and angles (intercoccygeal and lumbo-sacral) were measured. The results obtained were analyzed statistically. The following types of coccyx were observed in the study group: type I in 16.2 %, type II 40.0 %, type III 32.4 %, and type IV 11.4 % cases. In most cases (50.8 %), three segments were noted. Lumbo-sacral angle varied from 15.6° to 66.4° (average 41.6° ± 7.7°), and intercoccygeal angle from 0° to 107° (average 51° ± 23.3°). A significant negative correlation between age and number of segments as well as age and intercoccygeal angle was observed. In males, the coccyx was significantly longer, while in females the intercoccygeal angle was significantly wider. Type I was significantly more frequent in males, while type IV was found more often in females. The results obtained differ from other results in the literature. Our research could be useful to determine population standards, and help (together with clinical history) future studies of associations between idiopathic coccygodynia and coccyx morphology.