Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G N Volans

Publications and source records attributed to G N Volans.

85 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1975

The effect of metoclopramide on the absorption of effervescent aspirin in migraine.

1 The absorption of effervescent aspirin was studied in two groups of patients during attacks of migraine. The first group received effervescent aspirin alone whilst the second group received intramuscular metoclopramide before effervescent aspirin. 2 After effervescent aspirin alone there was significant impairment in the rate of aspirin absorption during migraine attacks compared with the rate of aspirin absorption in normal volunteers and in the same patients when headache-free. 3 When metoclopramide was given before effervescent aspirin the rate of aspirin absorption during migraine attacks was not significantly different from that obtained in normal volunteers given effervescent aspirin alone or from that obtained in the patients themselves when given both metoclopramide and effervescent aspirin when headache-free. 4 It is concluded that the impairment of absorption of effervescent aspirin during migraine attacks is related to impaired gastro-intestinal motility with delayed gastric emptying and that this impaired motility can be overcome by parenteral metoclopramide.

Adult↗
PubMed1974

Absorption of effervescent aspirin during migraine.

The absorption of effervescent aspirin was studied in 42 patients during acute attacks of migraine. When compared with normal controls and with themselves between attacks 19 out of the 42 patients showed impairment of absorption. Impairment of absorption seemed to correlate with the severity of the headache and the gastro-intestinal symptoms at the time of treatment but not with the duration of the attack or with the type of migraine. This study probably underestimated the prevalence of impairment of absorption in migraine attacks, and it is concluded that the treatment of acute migraine symptoms by oral drugs should use those formulations which are rapidly absorbed under normal conditions.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Paracetamol overdose in pregnancy analysis of the outcomes of 300 cases referred to the Teratology Information Service.

A prospective study was carried out to investigate the outcome of pregnancy in 300 women who had self-administered an overdose of paracetamol, either alone, or as part of a combined preparation. Exposure occurred in all trimesters. The most striking feature of this study is that the majority of the pregnancies had normal outcomes. Over half of the mothers (160 = 53%) required treatment for the overdose, and 49 of these had specific antidotes (33 mothers had acetylcysteine and 16 mothers had methionine). The rest of the mothers were given nonspecific treatments including ipecacuanha (52), gastric lavage (42), and charcoal (16). None of the mothers died. There were 219 liveborn infants with no malformations, 61 of whom had been exposed in the first trimester. Eleven liveborn infants had malformations; none was exposed in the first trimester. On other infant exposed at 18 weeks had a diaphragmatic hernia; this pregnancy was terminated at 22 weeks. In none of these 12 infants can the malformations be directly associated with paracetamol exposure. There were no apparent differences either in the sex ratio or the body weights of term infants. There were seven full-term infants with neonatal problems that seem unrelated to paracetamol exposure. Six premature infants also had neonatal problems, which were more likely to be related to their degree of prematurity rather than paracetamol exposure. There was no obvious relationship between the time of exposure and the time of delivery. The overall conclusion is that paracetamol overdose per se is not an indication for termination of pregnancy.

Acetaminophen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Migraine and drug absorption.

The majority of migraine attacks are associated with gastrointestinal symptoms which add considerably to the distress and inconvenience caused by the headache. When salicylate absorption from effervescent aspirin tablets was studied during migraine, the rate of absorption was found to be reduced relative to that found in non-migrainous volunteers and in the same patients when headache-free. There is evidence that this reduced rate of absorption is caused by gastrointestinal stasis and reduced rate of gastric emptying. Patients in whom aspirin absorption was delayed were more likely to take longer to respond and to require additional treatment. Metoclopramide, which increases gastric emptying rate, has been shown to improve the rate of absorption of aspirin during migraine and also increase the rate of recovery from the attack and avoid the need for additional treatment; effects which were not shown by thiethylperazine. It is likely that delayed absorption during migraine affects some drugs other than aspirin, such as ergotamine, and it is therefore recommended that the most rapidly absorbable formulation should be used. If such treatment is ineffective, metoclopramide may be a useful addition and should be tried before resorting to other routes of administration.

Aspirin↗