International journal of clinical practice
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEffect of tamsulosin on stone expulsion in proximal ureteral calculi: an open-label randomized controlled trial.
Medical expulsive therapy (MET) using alpha-blockers is effective for distal ureteral calculi (UC). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tamsulosin for proximal UC expulsion. ⋯ Tamsulosin was associated with significantly higher stone expulsion rate and shorter expulsion time in proximal UC ≤ 6 mm compared with conservative managements only. Our results indicate that similar to patients with distal UC, MET using tamsulosin is a reasonable treatment option for patients with proximal UC.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
Multicenter Study Observational StudyPrevalence of persistent lipid abnormalities in statin-treated patients: Belgian results of the Dyslipidaemia International Study (DYSIS).
A substantial number of cardiovascular events are not prevented by statin therapy, which is still regarded as the first-line therapy for hyperlipidaemia. Insights into the prevalence of lipid abnormalities of statin-treated patients in Belgium are lacking and may shed light on an unmet medical need for optimal use of current lipid-lowering therapies. This study aims to assess the prevalence and types of persistent lipid abnormalities in patients receiving statin therapy in a real-life primary care setting in Belgium. ⋯ In Belgium, lipid abnormalities remained highly prevalent despite statin treatment, with more than half of all patients not reaching their LDL-C treatment goal. This finding clearly indicates that more aggressive lipid-lowering treatment is required in clinical daily practice to achieve the goals of the current guidelines.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
Serum albumin level as a predictor of intensive respiratory or vasopressor support in influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.
Low serum albumin levels occur in a variety of disease states and are related to in-hospital mortality and length of stay. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of commonly measured biochemical markers in critically ill patients such as serum albumin or C-reactive protein (CRP) with the need for intensive respiratory or vasopressor support (IRVS) in patients with 2009 influenza A (H1N1). ⋯ Serum albumin levels and glucose levels on admission were predictors of the need IRVS in adult patients with H1N1. Based on these findings, the level of albumin at presentation may serve as a novel and simple early biomarker to identify patients at high risk for a complicated clinical course of disease.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
A retrospective study of psychotropic drug use among individuals with mental illness issued a community treatment order.
Community treatment orders (CTOs) are legal orders which require individuals with mental illness to accept treatment in the community. Previous studies report that long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are associated with CTOs, however, little is known about the specific treatment plans prescribed in CTOs. The objective of this study was to describe the patterns of psychotropic drugs prescribed to individuals issued a CTO, focusing on LAI antipsychotics, antipsychotic polypharmacy and high-dose antipsychotics. ⋯ The results from this study confirm that LAI antipsychotics are commonly prescribed in CTOs. Antipsychotic polypharmacy was also common, and accounted for the majority of individuals prescribed high-dose antipsychotics. Further research is needed to determine the potential outcomes and implications of the patterns observed.
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Int. J. Clin. Pract. · Feb 2014
Twelve-month medication persistence in men with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
This study aimed to assess patients' baseline characteristics and provider factors influencing the continuation of medication for 12 months in patients who were newly diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). ⋯ About two-thirds of newly diagnosed LUTS/BPH patients discontinued medications within 1 year of starting treatment. We found several potential patient and provider factors associated with persistence, which could be exploited to increase continuation of treatment in future clinical settings.