Current medical research and opinion
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Comparative Study
A comparison of direct medical costs across racial and ethnic groups among children with cancer.
Previous studies reported that some minority childhood cancer patients are likely to develop worse outcomes than white children. This study examines whether there are racial and ethnic disparities in health expenditures among children with cancer. ⋯ This study did not identify significant racial and ethnic disparities in health care costs. However, one important study limitation is the small sample size of the minority populations in the study sample.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of carisoprodol 250-mg tablets in the treatment of acute lower-back spasm.
The objective of this placebo-controlled trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of carisoprodol (Soma, MedPointe Pharmaceuticals, Somerset, NJ, USA), a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant used to treat acute, painful musculoskeletal conditions, at a dosage of 250 mg three times daily and at bedtime in patients with acute, painful muscle spasm of the lower back. ⋯ In this study, patients with acute muscle spasm of the lower back had significantly greater and more rapid relief from starting backache, and had improved functional status, as measured by the RMDQ, during treatment with carisoprodol 250-mg tablets compared to placebo. Patients experienced clinical improvement with or without sedation.
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Review Case Reports
A practical overview of tizanidine use for spasticity secondary to multiple sclerosis, stroke, and spinal cord injury.
Tizanidine is an imidazoline central alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist widely used to manage spasticity secondary to conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, and spinal cord injury (SCI). While there is widespread use of tizanidine in clinical practice, little practical information is available to assist prescribers with the effective use of tizanidine for spasticity management. The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of tizanidine and its use in the management of spasticity associated with acquired (SCI), static (stroke), and progressive neurological (MS) diseases. ⋯ There is a large body of evidence for the effective use of tizanidine monotherapy in the management of spasticity. A case study demonstrates that combination therapy can effectively control spasticity while better managing dose-dependent adverse events, although additional studies need to be performed to confirm these results.
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Cost effectiveness of duloxetine in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain in the UK.
The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of duloxetine when considered as an additional treatment option for UK-based patients suffering from diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. ⋯ This UK-based economic model suggests that second-line use of duloxetine is a beneficial and cost-effective treatment strategy for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain.
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To collect information on diabetes management, including psychosocial aspects, in patients managed by specialists 5 years after they were first surveyed in 1998. ⋯ Although both cohorts were separate cross-sectional studies of diabetes management status in Asia, the results showed that the demography profile, glycaemic control and cardiovascular risk factors were remarkably similar in both cohorts 5 years after the first survey. More concerted efforts are needed to increase diabetes awareness and education.