Current medical research and opinion
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Case Reports Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A controlled study of benzydamine oral rinse ("Difflam") in general practice.
Fifty-two patients suffering from presumed viral pharyngeal infection or tonsillitis were treated with either benzydamine or placebo oral rinse as a gargle at 3-hourly intervals in a randomized double-blind study. Patients on the active preparation experienced faster resolution of pain and dysphagia and at 7 days 88% were symptom-free compared with 38% on placebo.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
An open comparative trial of three doses of ciramadol used intravenously in renal colic.
In an open investigation, ciramadol, a partial agonist opioid, was found to be a potent analgesic when given intravenously in patients experiencing renal colic. Single intravenous doses of 20, 30 and 40 mg of ciramadol were given to 11, 11 and 12 patients with renal colic, respectively, and good pain relief was obtained in 10, 11 and 10 patients, respectively. Vomiting and nausea occurred in 9 patients, 4 in the 20 mg group, 2 in the 30 mg group and 3 in the 40 mg group. This adverse effect was related to standing and walking following the ciramadol injection.
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A retrospective analysis was performed of 405 patients, over the age of 65 years, who had been admitted with proven myocardial infarction to a coronary care unit, to investigate the relationship between the serum potassium level on admission and the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. On admission, 173 (42.7%) patients had a serum potassium of less than 4.0 mmol/l. During the first 24 hours in hospital, 57% of all patients exhibited a disturbance of cardiac rhythm. ⋯ The difference in incidence of this arrhythmia was highly significant (p less than 0.001). No patient who experienced ventricular fibrillation was on existing cardiac medication with either a diuretic, beta-adrenoreceptor blocking drug or digoxin. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of other cardiac arrhythmias between low and normal serum potassium groups.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A double-blind comparative trial of new muscle relaxant, tizanidine (DS 103-282), and baclofen in the treatment of chronic spasticity in multiple sclerosis.
A double-blind trial with two parallel groups was carried out to compare the antispastic effect and tolerability of a new muscle relaxant, tizanidine (DS 103-282), with those of baclofen in the treatment of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. Twenty-one hospitalized patients with stable spasticity participated in the 6-week trial. Eleven received tizanidine and 10 baclofen in gradually increasing daily doses. ⋯ Tiredness was the most frequent side-effect on tizanidine and muscle weakness on baclofen. The laboratory tests did not show any pathological changes with either medication. According to these results, tizanidine provides a new therapeutic alternative in the treatment of spasticity.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A double-blind comparison of parenteral dipyrone and pethidine in the treatment of post-operative pain.
A double-blind trial was carried out in 100 patients with moderate to severe post-operative pain to compare the analgesic effectiveness over a 6-hour period of single intramuscular injections of 2.5 g dipyrone and 100 mg pethidine. Maximum pain relief was seen 2 hours after drug administration in both groups and there was no statistically significant difference in responses. No side-effects were reported.