Current medical research and opinion
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Prevalence of COPD among symptomatic patients in a primary care setting.
Spirometry is recognized as the gold standard assessment for the diagnosis of COPD. However, spirometry continues to be underused, perpetuating the underdiagnosis of COPD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of COPD in a primary care setting in patients with a smoking history and self-reported chronic bronchitis symptoms. ⋯ Study code ADC109043; clinicaltrials.gov #NCT00442468.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Postmarketing migraine survey of frovatriptan: effectiveness and tolerability vs previous triptans, NSAIDs or a combination.
Compare the effectiveness and tolerability of current therapy with frovatriptan 2.5-mg tablets (in 1-3 migraines) in patients with migraine previously using other triptans, analgesics/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or triptans and NSAIDs (T+NSAIDs). ⋯ Intrapatient comparisons showed that most patients with migraine reported significantly improved effectiveness and tolerability ratings with frovatriptan versus previous acute therapies.
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Pharmacologic treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) commonly includes alpha-blockers (ABs) and 5alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs). Many clinicians use ABs for rapid symptom control and 5ARIs to modify long-term disease progression. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical impact of delayed 5ARI therapy in patients treated with AB for lower urinary tract symptoms. ⋯ Confounding factors, such as symptom severity and prostate volume, may have influenced the findings of the study.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent condition with high morbidity and mortality among older and disabled adults. Few studies have examined the comparative effectiveness of maintenance therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in this vulnerable population. ⋯ FSC is associated with a lower risk of COPD-related exacerbation events relative to ATC in managed-care Medicare beneficiaries with COPD. Findings from this study are only generalizable to managed-care Medicare beneficiaries residing in the community.
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Clinical Trial
Management of neuropathic pain after surgical and non-surgical trauma with lidocaine 5% patches: study of 40 consecutive cases.
To determine the efficacy of lidocaine 5% patches [Versatis, commercialised by Grünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany] in patients with PNCCP. ⋯ Lidocaine 5% patches seem to be an effective treatment of post-surgical and post-traumatic pain. These results should be supported with randomised and placebo-controlled studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups.