International journal of clinical practice
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyInterventions do not enhance medication persistence and compliance in patients with overactive bladder: a 24 weeks, randomised, open-label, multi-center trial.
Anticholinergics are currently the mainstay for the management of overactive bladder (OAB). However, low drug adherence has been noted with these medications. The aim of this study was to determine whether a health education intervention (HEI) could improve drug persistence with anticholinergics in OAB patients. ⋯ The health education intervention was not effective to increase drug persistence in OAB patients on anticholinergics.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2015
Zopiclone use associated with increased risk of acute pancreatitis: a case-control study in Taiwan.
The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between zopiclone use and the risk of acute pancreatitis in Taiwan. ⋯ Subjects actively using zopiclone are associated with increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Clinicians should take acute pancreatitis risk into account when prescribing zopiclone, particularly comorbid with alcohol-related disease or biliary stone.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2015
Admission serum magnesium levels and the risk of acute respiratory failure.
The association between admission serum magnesium (Mg) levels and risk of acute respiratory failure (ARF) in hospitalised patients is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of developing ARF in all hospitalised patients with various admission Mg levels. ⋯ Both admission hypomagnesemia and hypermagnesemia were associated with an increased risk for in-hospital ARF.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2015
ReviewPractical use of povidone-iodine antiseptic in the maintenance of oral health and in the prevention and treatment of common oropharyngeal infections.
To better inform medical practitioners on the role of antiseptics in oropharyngeal health and disease, this article focuses on povidone-iodine (PVP-I), an established and widely-available antiseptic agent. ⋯ The link between oral and oropharyngeal health status and susceptibility to infection has long been recognised. The high rates of antibiotic misuse and subsequent development of bacterial resistance (e.g. increasing vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)) in large parts of the world, especially across Asia Pacific, highlight the need for identifying alternative antimicrobials that would minimise the use of these medications. This, together with recent large-scale outbreaks of, for example, avian and swine influenza virus, further underline the importance of an increasing armamentarium for infection prevention and control.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Nov 2015
ReviewCommunication in healthcare: a narrative review of the literature and practical recommendations.
Effective and efficient communication is crucial in healthcare. Written communication remains the most prevalent form of communication between specialised and primary care. We aimed at reviewing the literature on the quality of written communication, the impact of communication inefficiencies and recommendations to improve written communication in healthcare. ⋯ There is room for improvement of both content and timeliness of written communication. The delineation of ownership of the communication process should be clear. Peer review, process indicators and follow-up tools are required to measure the impact of quality improvement initiatives. Communication between caregivers should feature more prominently in graduate and postgraduate training, to become engraved as an essential skill and quality characteristic of each caregiver.