Biomedical subjects

I Steven

Publications and source records attributed to I Steven.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Efficacy and safety of ketotifen eye drops in the treatment of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.

BACKGROUND: Ketotifen blocks histamine H(1) receptors, stabilises mast cells, and prevents eosinophil accumulation. These multiple, pharmacological mechanisms provided the rationale for assessing the efficacy and safety of ketotifen 0.025% eye drops in subjects with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) in an environmental setting. METHODS: This was a double masked, randomised, multicentre trial conducted in Australia. Subjects were randomly assigned to ketotifen fumarate 0.025% ophthalmic solution, placebo (as vehicle), or levocabastine hydrochloride 0.05% ophthalmic suspension, twice daily in each eye for a 4 week period. Subjects were assessed at follow up (days 5-8) and termination (days 25-31) visits. The primary efficacy variable was the responder rate, based on the subjects' assessment of global efficacy at the follow up visit. RESULTS: 519 subjects were randomised to treatment. At the follow up visit, the responder rate, based on subjects' assessment of global efficacy, was significantly greater in the ketotifen group (49.5%) than in the placebo group (33.0%) for subjects with a positive diagnostic test for pollen allergy (p = 0.02). The investigators' assessment of responder rates also showed that ketotifen was superior to placebo (p = 0.001). Ketotifen produced a significantly better outcome than levocabastine (p<0.05) for relief of signs and symptoms of SAC, at both the follow up and the termination visit. The type and frequency of adverse events were similar across treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: In an environmental setting, ketotifen fumarate 0.025% ophthalmic solution was well tolerated and effective in reducing the signs and symptoms of SAC, and in preventing their recurrence. Ketotifen consistently showed the best efficacy in comparison with both placebo and levocabastine. These results indicate that ketotifen eye drops are a valuable treatment option for this condition.

Anti-Allergic Agents↗

PubMed1998

Health promotion in different medical settings: women's health, community health and private practice.

This paper describes the health promotion role of doctors in two medical practice settings: women's and community health centres, and fee-for-service practice. It proposes the establishment of divisions of primary health care in Australia which would be multi-disciplinary and focus on community-wide health issues. The paper is based on data from an interview survey of medical practitioners who had worked in metropolitan Adelaide women's and community health centres and from a questionnaire survey of GPs in private practice. The types of health promotion activity by the doctors in the different settings are discussed. It is concluded that private practice GPs are involved primarily in providing health education advice to individual patients. Doctors within women's and community health centres are more likely to report involvement in group health promotion activity and broader community development initiatives. The study concludes that health promotion which focuses on the health of the local community is best conducted within multidisciplinary health centres. GPs in private practice are limited by the structure of their setting (particularly the fee-for-service basis and reliance on a single discipline) to health promotion which focuses on the needs of individual patients.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed1998

'I'm just here for my blood pressure pills, doc'.

In summary, a consultation for a blood pressure check provides the opportunity and obligation for a systemic review of and, when needed, the development of, strategies to modify risk factors which are known to expose an individual to greater risk of ultimately developing vascular disease.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Intervention trials in general practice.

The best way to establish the place of interventions including pharmaceuticals, physical therapies, counselling, and surgery in general practice is by a trial. When undertaking such trials, care must be taken to ensure the reference population is appropriate, that recruitment strategies and the conduct of the trials do not introduce systematic bias, that adequate numbers of subjects are included to prove or disprove the question being researched and that the trial is ethical.

Double-Blind Method↗

PubMed1997