Dtsch Arztebl Int
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
A Complex Intervention to Prevent Medication-Related Hospital Admissions—Results of the Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial KiDSafe in Pediatrics.
Children are often treated off-label and are at a disadvantage in pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a quality assurance measure (PaedPharm) for pediatric pharmacotherapy whose purpose is to reduce medication-related hospitalizations among children and adolescents. ⋯ The introduction of PaedPharm was associated with a decrease in medication-related hospitalizations that did not reach statistical significance. The process evaluation revealed broad acceptance of the intervention in outpatient pediatrics and adolescent medicine.
-
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third most common cause of death around the world. The affected patients suffer not only from impaired lung function, but also from a wide variety of comorbidities. Their cardiac comorbidities, in particular, lead to increased mortality. ⋯ As patients with COPD are often multimorbid, the early diagnosis and adequate treatment not only of their lung disease, but also of their extrapulmonary comorbidities are very important. Well-established diagnostic instruments and well-tested treatments are available and are described in detail in the guidelines concerning the comorbidities. Preliminary observations suggest that more attention should be paid to the potential positive effects of treating comorbidities on the lung disease itself, and vice versa.