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PubMed2004

Occupational exposures during routine activities in coal-fueled power plants.

Limited information is available on occupational exposures during routine, nonoutage work activities in coal-fueled power plants. This study evaluated occupational exposures to the principal contaminants in the facilities, including respirable dust (coal dust), arsenic, noise, asbestos, and heat stress. The data were collected over a 3-month period, during the summer of 2001, in 5 facilities that were chosen to be representative of the coal-fueled power plants of a large southeastern power-generating company. Each of the facilities was divided into 5 similar exposure groups based on previous exposure assessments and job tasks performed. From 4 of the 5 facilities, 392 air samples and 302 noise samples were collected with approximately 50 respirable coal dust, 32 arsenic, 15 asbestos, and 70 noise samples from each of the 4 plants. One of the previously surveyed facilities was also evaluated for heat stress, and 1 additional coal-fueled power plant was surveyed for a total of 20 personal heat stress samples. Personal monitors and area WBGT monitors were used. Of the nearly 400 air samples collected, only 1 exceeded the allowable occupational exposure value. For the noise samples, 55 (approximately 18%) were equal to or greater than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 8-hour hearing conservation program level of 85 dBA, and 12 (approximately 4%) were equal to or greater than the OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure level of 90 dBA. Heat stress monitoring at the facilities indicates that 26% of the 1-hour TWAs were exceeded for one or all of the recommended heat stress limits. The data also concluded that some work sites were above the heat stress ceiling values recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Four of the 20 employees personally monitored exceeded the recommended limits for heart rate or body core temperature. This suggests there is a potential for heat strain if signs and symptoms are ignored. Recommendations are made to better control the heat stress exposure.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2002

Reduction of exposure to laboratory animal allergens in a research laboratory.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine exposure levels in the laboratory during different tasks and evaluate the effectiveness of safety equipment used to reduce personal exposure. METHODS: Personal and stationary air samples were collected during different tasks in a laboratory animal facility in which several allergen reduction strategies had been implemented. Mouse urinary allergen concentrations were measured using a polyclonal sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sera from the personnel (n = 29) were analysed every 6 months for the presence of specific antibodies against mouse and rat urinary allergens, and the staff answered questionnaires on work-related symptoms, exposure and use of respiratory protection. RESULTS: The highest airborne mouse allergen levels were measured during manual emptying of cages, during changing of cages on an unventilated table and during handling of male animals on an unventilated table. Automatic emptying and cleaning of cages resulted in low airborne allergen levels in the working room. Using a ventilated cage-changing wagon reduced the allergen exposure level from 77 to 17 ng/m3. The housing of animals in ventilated cabinets, with air exhausted through the cabinet, effectively prevented the release of allergens into the ambient air. The handling of animals on ventilated benches and the use of a centralized vacuum cleaner resulted in a low exposure level. Only two subjects developed specific immunoglobulin E of > 0.35 kU/l, of whom one was reduced to negative after increased use of respiratory protection. CONCLUSIONS: Effective reduction of exposure to allergens can be achieved by several strategies, which together appear to minimize sensitization to rodents.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed2004

Mites and fungi in heavily infested stores in the Czech Republic.

Toxigenic and allergen-producing fungi represent a serious hazard to human food and animal feed safety. Ninety-four fungal species were isolated from mite-infested samples of seeds taken from Czech seed stores. Fungi were isolated from the surface of four kinds of seeds (wheat, poppy, lettuce, and mustard) and from the gut and external surface of five species of mites (i.e., Acarus siro L., 1758, Caloglyphus rhizoglyphoides (Zachvatkin, 1973), Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank, 1781), Tyrophagus putrescentnae (Schrank, 1781) and Cheyletus malaccensis Oudemans 1903) separately. Multivariate analysis of fungi complex composition showed that the frequency of fungal was species significantly influenced by the kind of seed. Fungal frequencies differed between mites gut and exoskeleton surface and between the surfaces of mites and seeds. Three groups of fungal species were recognized: 1) mite surface-associated fungi: Penicillium brevicompactum, Alternaria alternata, and Aspergillus versicolor; 2) mite surface- and seed-associated fungi: Aspergillus niger, Penicillium crustosum, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Aspergillus flavus; and 3) seed-associated fungi: Cladosporium herbarum, Mucor dimorphosporus f. dimorphosporus, Botrytis cinerea, Penicillium griseofulvum, and Eurotium repens. Mite-carried species of microfungi are known to produce serious mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxin B1, cyclopiazonic acid, sterigmatocystin, ochratoxin A, and nephrotoxic glycopeptides) as well as allergen producers (e.g., A. alternata and P. brevicompactum). Storage mites may play an important role in the spread of some medically hazardous micromycetes. In addition, these mite-fungi associations may heighten the risk of occurrence of mycotoxins in food and feed stuffs and cause mixed contamination by fungal and mite allergens.

Alternaria↗
PubMed2004

Microbiological quality of broiler carcasses during processing in two slaughterhouses in Turkey.

The effect of processing procedures on the microbial quality and safety of broiler carcasses was investigated in 2 processing plants. Neck skin samples were taken from broilers at the main stages of processing and changes in total viable count (TVC) and in the counts of Coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Staphylococci/Micrococci were monitored. Processing reduced TVC more than 2 log cycles for the 2 processing plants investigated. The counts of Coliform bacteria decreased from 5.35 to 3.99 log cfu/g, Enterobacteriaceae from 5.36 to 3.81 log cfu/g, and Staphylococci/Micrococci from 6.90 to 4.11 log cfu/g for the first processing plant. The counts of Coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and Staphylococci/Micrococci were reduced from 5.67 to 3.92 log cfu/g, from 5.75 to 3.91 log cfu/g, and from 6.85 to 3.94 log cfu/g, respectively, by processing in the second plant. Cross-contamination with Salmonella spp. during processing was observed and the incidences of Salmonella spp. on the carcasses increased from 40 to 60% and from 33.3 to 40% during processing at plants 1 and 2, respectively. The incidences of Salmonella spp. in all broilers (n = 90 carcasses for each plant) were 36.6 and 31.1% at plants 1 and 2, respectively. Although a high proportion of microorganisms were removed from carcasses during processing, dissemination of Salmonella spp. was found to be unavoidable.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

The effects of low-flow sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia on renal function in patients with stable moderate renal insufficiency.

UNLABELLED: Sevoflurane degrades to Compound A, which is nephrotoxic in rats. Therefore, the renal effects of Compound A is an area of intense debate. We investigated the effects of low-flow sevoflurane and isoflurane anesthesia on renal function in patients with stable renal insufficiency. Seventeen patients with a serum creatinine level of more than 1.5 mg/dL were anesthetized with sevoflurane or isoflurane at a total flow of 1 L/min. Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were measured before anesthesia and again 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after anesthesia. The 24-h creatinine clearance was measured before anesthesia and 7 days after anesthesia. There were no significant differences in the blood urea nitrogen levels, serum creatinine concentrations, or creatinine clearance before and after anesthesia within each group. These results suggest that sevoflurane and isoflurane have similar effects on renal function in patients with moderately impaired renal function. Further study of the effects of low-flow sevoflurane anesthesia on impaired renal function with a larger sample size than ours is required to resolve the issue of sevoflurane safety in patients with renal insufficiency. IMPLICATIONS: The serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen data indicate that, for exposures of <130 ppm/h in Compound A inspired area under the curve, renal effects of low-flow sevoflurane are similar to those of isoflurane in patients with stable renal insufficiency.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Factors affecting laterality of standard threshold shift in occupational hearing conservation programs.

Although noise-induced hearing loss is generally characterized as bilaterally symmetrical, 80% of audiometric shifts meeting Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) criteria were unilateral in a large industrial sample. The primary factor related to unilateral OSHA shifts was asymmetric baseline hearing level. Better ears at baseline audiogram were more likely to demonstrate OSHA shifts than poorer ears. When hearing levels were symmetric at baseline, left ears were more likely to demonstrate OSHA shifts. Although OSHA shifts were primarily unilateral, cumulative effects of noise exposure were judged to be bilaterally symmetrical due to larger hearing shifts occurring in better ears of subjects with preexisting hearing asymmetries. Recovery from temporary threshold shift in second ears tested was judged not to be a significant determinant for high prevalence of unilateral shifts. Many factors likely interact to confound interpretive value of OSHA shift laterality in occupationally noise-exposed populations. This holds important implications for hearing conservation program professionals considering hearing shift laterality as a factor in shift etiology.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Nucleus 24 advanced encoder conversion study: performance versus preference.

OBJECTIVE: The Nucleus 24 Advanced Encoder Conversion Study was designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of the advanced combination encoder (ACE) and continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) speech coding strategies compared with that of the spectral peak (SPEAK) strategy in a large sample of postlinguistically deaf adults. Data from this study were analyzed to test the hypothesis that the group of subjects who prefer a given strategy for use in everyday life obtain significantly higher speech recognition scores (as a group) with the preferred strategy than with nonpreferred ones. DESIGN: The first 100 adults implanted with the Nucleus 24 Cochlear Implant System who had a minimum of 3 mo experience with the device were invited to participate. Those who accepted were randomly assigned to one of two groups for an initial 6-wk use of either the ACE or the CIS strategy; the other strategy was used during the second 6-wk period. Parameters in subjects' SPrint speech processor programs were adjusted to maximize perceived benefit with each strategy in everyday life. Recognition of medial consonants and vowels, CNC words, CUNY sentences in quiet and at + 10 dB signal to noise ratio, and HINT sentences in quiet was initially evaluated at the beginning of the study with the SPEAK strategy and at the end of the two 6-wk periods with the ACE and CIS strategies. Then subjects' processors were programmed with all three strategies for use in everyday life. After 3-wk use, a final evaluation of speech recognition with the HINT sentences in quiet and CUNY sentences at +10 dB signal to noise ratio was performed with each strategy. Subjects also responded to a questionnaire giving their strategy preference for most listening situations, the percentage of time they used each strategy, and the strategy they found gave them the best hearing and understanding of speech in 19 listening situations. RESULTS: Of the 62 subjects who participated, 56 subjects reported that they preferred one strategy for most listening situations (ACE strategy: 37 [59.7%]; SPEAK strategy: 14 [22.6%]; CIS strategy: 5 [8.0%]) and six subjects did not prefer a single strategy (9.7%). For the group who preferred one strategy, the preferred strategy resulted in higher scores than for one of the other strategies at the initial evaluation on CUNY sentences in quiet and noise and at the final evaluation on HINT sentences in quiet and CUNY sentences in noise for approximately two-thirds of the subjects. Strategy preference and performance were not significantly related for the remaining dependent measures. There also was strong agreement between the preferred strategy, percentage time this strategy was used, and the number of specific listening situations the preferred strategy was chosen for best hearing and understanding of speech. Although the majority of subjects strongly preferred a single strategy, some preferred to use two or three strategies, and a few were not sure which strategy they preferred for the majority of listening situations. Of the 19 subjects who reported that it was useful to use different strategies for different listening situations, only 5 of the 13 subjects, who responded to a follow-up questionnaire sent 18 mo later, continued to use multiple strategies. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant relation between subjects' strategy preference based on experience in everyday life and their performance on the sentence tests, particularly sentences in noise. Important individual differences in strategy preference as well as in rate and number of channels stimulated per cycle within the ACE and CIS strategies emerged during the study. At the end of this process, over half of the subjects preferred the ACE strategy, and over double the number preferred the SPEAK strategy compared with the CIS strategy. To provide newly implanted recipients with as much benefit as possible, it is important that the speech processor program with each strategy be adjusted to maximize perceived benefit sequentially and then the three strategies need to be compared. With the four memories of the SPrint processor and a recipient who adapts quickly to hearing sound with different speech coding strategies, it may be possible to accomplish this comparison clinically through weekly fitting sessions plus listening in everyday life over a period of approximately 6 wk. At the end of this fitting process, most recipients probably will prefer to use one strategy, whereas some may prefer two or all three strategies to maximize their ability to hear in different listening situations.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1980

Essential features of a criterion-based, integrated examination at Tromsø, Norway.

With data from the first integrated examinations at Stage II in the medical curriculum at Tromsø, Norway, we have found that essay-type sequential case problems may be designed according to the pattern described as 'Patient Management Problems'. In particular, a new 'standardized' morphology problem which is labour-saving and which demands from the respondents general skills of high relevance was created. We also found that the taxonomic level of this comprehensive and integrated examination could be raised by following a few simple suggestion. The reliability of the examination is shown to be above average, when pre-accepted model answers are use throughout. New criterion-sets describing clearly acceptable and clearly non-acceptable performances (established by finding the 99% safety limits of the chosen minimum passing level, taking the number of samples into account) were applied prospectively in 1978. Of 42 candidates 37 were classified as clearly passing, while three were classifed as having failed. The validity of the sets was evaluated by using them retrospectively on the 1977 data. It was shown that they were then able to pick out as failures the same four student whom the board had filed in 1977. The format has been favourably received by both students and teachers.

Education, Medical, Undergraduate↗
PubMed2005

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis to bisphenol F epoxy resin.

A 30-year-old man presented with eyelid dermatitis and was diagnosed with occupational allergic contact dermatitis to an epoxy resin based on the monomer diglycidyl ether of bisphenol F. He did not react to the standard epoxy resin based on bisphenol A, but reacted to a diluted sample of epoxy resin taken from his workplace, an adhesives manufacturing plant. The diagnosis would not have been made had he not brought samples from work, which were patch tested after appropriate dilution. The material safety data sheet provided additional evidence that the epoxy was not based on bisphenol A. The patient's symptoms subsided after avoidance of the identified product.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Australian farm work injuries: incidence, diversity and personal risk factors.

Information on farm work-related injuries was sought to assist in the design of effective farm safety prevention programs. A telephone survey was conducted using a stratified random sample of 919 sheep/wool, beef cattle and dryland broadacre cropping farms from three shires in the wheat/sheep belt of New South Wales. The adjusted response rate was 84%. There were 425 reported injuries over an 18-month period. One in five farms reported at least one injury per year, while one in 12 farms reported at least one serious injury per year. Animal-related injuries were the largest major category for agent of injury, while the largest category for nature of injury was sprain and strain, recording almost one-quarter of all injuries. The farm workshop or shed was the most common location of injury, with more than 20% of all reported injuries occurring there. Personal risk factors thought to contribute to these farm work-related injuries were examined. The statistically significant personal risk factors for injury occurrence were age (and/or experience), previous injury status, body mass index, hours of sleep, a variable measuring daytime drowsiness and a variable measuring perceived stress.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed2006

Pharmacokinetics of the new antiepileptic and CNS drug RWJ-333369 following single and multiple dosing to humans.

PURPOSE: To characterize the pharmacokinetics of the new antiepileptic and CNS drug RWJ-333369 following single and multiple oral doses to healthy subjects, including the effect of food on bioavailability. METHOD: Two studies were conducted. The first study had a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, sequential, ascending-dose crossover design. Subjects were divided into four dose groups (100, 250, 500, and 750 mg) of 10 to 11 subjects each. RWJ-333369 or placebo was administered for two 7-day periods, separated by a 14-day washout. In the second study RWJ-333369 (750 mg) was administered to 12 healthy subjects under fasted and fed conditions. Plasma and urine samples were analyzed for RWJ-333369 by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Safety was assessed throughout the studies. RESULTS: Mean (range) pharmacokinetic parameters in the above studies were: oral clearance (CL/F) 3.4-4.2 L/h, half-life (t(1/2)) 10.6-12.8 h, and renal clearance (CLr) 0.042-0.094 L/h, indicating that RWJ-333369 is eliminated primarily by metabolism. These parameters were not significantly different (p > 0.05) for the four dose groups and for single and multiple dosing. C(max) and AUC increased proportionally with dose and decreased with food by 11% and 5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Following single and repetitive (q12h) doses of 100-750 mg, RWJ-333369 had linear pharmacokinetics; food did not alter pharmacokinetics to a clinically relevant extent. RWJ-333369 is extensively metabolized and has a low CL/F that equals < 5% of the liver blood flow. Thus, orally administered RWJ-333369 has no hepatic first-pass effect. The 12-h half-life will enable bid dosing with an immediate-release oral formulation.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2006

Parents' perceptions of curricular issues affecting children's weight in elementary schools.

The purpose of this study was to examine Ohio parents' perceptions of the role of elementary schools in preventing childhood overweight. In the United States, overweight is the most widespread health threat facing children and adolescents. Schools may be a useful point of intervention in addressing the escalating prevalence of childhood overweight because children spend over half their day at school. A questionnaire was developed based primarily on the School Health Index, a tool developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help schools assess and improve their physical activity, healthy eating, tobacco use prevention, and safety policies and programs. Seven hundred surveys were sent to a random sample of Ohio parents of elementary school-aged children. This study (53% response rate) found that the majority (51-73%) of parents identified 14 items as very important in preventing childhood overweight, which is indicative of their support for these curricular topics within the elementary school. All items from the physical education component had less than 50% of the parents identifying these items as very important. The item that was least supported (16%) by the parents was measuring a child's body mass index. The majority (51%) of parents indicated their preference for elementary students' access to vending machines only if they contained nutritious foods and beverages, while 42% of parents preferred that elementary students should not be allowed access to vending machines at all. The findings from this study suggest that Ohio parents would be supportive of school-based interventions focusing on healthy eating, physical activity, and the school environment to help reduce the prevalence of overweight in elementary children.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Quantitative mineralogical analysis of small samples of china clay using x ray diffractometry.

The quantitative mineralogical analysis of small samples (less than 20 mg) of china clay has been investigated using x ray diffractometry to determine kaolinite, mica, quartz, and feldspar. A method has been developed and applied to the quantitative analysis of airborne dust samples and of other small discrete samples. Determinations were made either on samples after collection on a membrane filter or on samples after deposition from aqueous suspension on to a silver substrate. Quantitative analysis was hindered by preferred orientation of the kaolinite and of the mica particles that occurs when using these methods of specimen preparation. Quartz and feldspar were determined direct from prepared calibration graphs. Preferred orientation of the mica particles leads to serious interference with the most sensitive quartz x ray diffraction peak which, if not recognised, will result in an overestimation of the quartz content. Kaolinite and mica were determined from the ratio of their most intense x ray diffraction peak areas to overcome the preferred orientation effects observed for these two minerals. During the investigation, the opportunity arose for comparative measurements of quartz contents of airborne dust samples with the Occupational Medicine and Hygiene Laboratories of the Health and Safety Executive. The mass of specimen examined varied between 0.8 mg and 20 mg and the quartz contents varied between 0.1% and 1.2%. The comparative results were in good agreement.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1994

Approaches to the management of depression in old age.

Depression in old age is common, underdiagnosed and undertreated. It has a high rate of recurrence and is associated with significantly increased mortality. Its mismanagement stems in large part from the misconceptions that it is an inevitable condition, that old people are too inflexible to change, and that treatment is unacceptably hazardous. There is considerable potential for prevention, improved detection and appropriate treatment. In addition, it is increasingly clear that treatment can improve prognosis. Prevention requires education, and a political agenda to address aetiological factors such as poverty, loneliness, institutionalisation and poor physical health. Treatment with antidepressant drugs and/or psychological techniques is effective. Newer drugs may well be superior in safety and real-life tolerability but require better evaluation in representative samples, against placebo and incorporating cost-benefit and quality-of-life measures. Prophylaxis with antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy groups has been shown to be effective. The prophylactic efficacy of newer antidepressants has yet to be properly evaluated.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Lack of effect of sucralfate on the absorption and pharmacokinetics of rosiglitazone.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of sucralfate pretreatment on the pharmacokinetics of rosiglitazone following a single oral dose in healthy male volunteers. After an over night fast, and according to a randomized schedule, each volunteer (n = 9) received a single oral dose of rosiglitazone 8 mg (Avandia tablets, 4 mg x 2) with or without pretreatment of sucralfate 2 g (Recolfate tablets, 1 g x 2) in an open-label crossover study with a 2-week washout period. Plasma samples were collected over a period of 24 hours at regular intervals. Safety assessment included monitoring of the vital signs, blood parameters, and ECG. No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed for any of the calculated rosiglitazone pharmacokinetic parameters in the two treatment groups. The mean parameters, AUC0-infinity and Cmax, following rosiglitazone administration alone were 3825.02 ng x h/ml and 664.47 ng/ml, respectively, and for rosiglitazone administered after pretreatment with sucralfate were 4848.19 ng x h/ml and 624.88 ng/ml, respectively. The t(max) for rosiglitazone alone and for rosiglitazone after sucralfate treatments was 1.11 and 1.67 hours, respectively. The mean elimination half-life for rosiglitazone and rosiglitazone after sucralfate treatment was 4.35 and 4.51 hours, respectively. Fraction of rosiglitazone absorbed was calculated by the Wagner-Nelson method, and no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed for the two treatments. Since sucralfate pretreatment did not show any significant difference in the pharmacokinetics of rosiglitazone, no dose adjustment is warranted for rosiglitazone when it is administered with sucralfate.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

Pharmacodynamic interaction between ezetimibe and rosuvastatin.

BACKGROUND: Ezetimibe is a lipid-lowering drug indicated for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia as co-administration with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) or as monotherapy. The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the pharmacodynamic effects and safety of the co-administration of ezetimibe and the new statin rosuvastatin. A secondary objective was to examine the potential for a pharmacokinetic interaction between ezetimibe and rosuvastatin. METHODS: This was a randomized, evaluator (single)-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study in healthy hypercholesterolemic subjects (untreated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] > or = 130 mg/dL [3.37 mmol/L]). After the outpatient screening and NCEP Step I diet stabilization periods, 40 subjects were randomized to one of the 4 following treatments: rosuvastatin 10 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg (n = 12); rosuvastatin 10 mg plus placebo (matching ezetimibe 10 mg) (n = 12); ezetimibe 10 mg plus placebo (matching ezetimibe 10 mg) (n = 8); or placebo (2 tablets, matching ezetimibe 10 mg) (n = 8). All study treatments were administered once daily in the morning for 14 days as part of a 16-day inpatient confinement period. Fasting serum lipids were assessed pre-dose on days 1 (baseline), 7, and 14 by direct quantitative assay methods. Safety was evaluated by monitoring laboratory tests and recording adverse events. Blood samples were collected for ezetimibe and rosuvastatin pharmacokinetic evaluation prior to the first and last dose and at frequent intervals after the last dose (day 14) of study treatment. Plasma ezetimibe, total ezetimibe (ezetimibe plus ezetimibe-glucuronide) and rosuvastatin concentrations were determined by validated liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS) assay methods. RESULTS: All active treatments caused statistically significant (p < or = 0.02) decreases in LDL-C concentration versus placebo from baseline to day 14. The co-administration of ezetimibe and rosuvastatin caused a significantly (p < 0.01) greater reduction in LDL-C and total cholesterol than either drug alone. In this 2-week inpatient study with restricted physical activity there was no apparent effect of any treatment on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or triglycerides. The co-administration of ezetimibe and rosuvastatin caused a significantly (p < 0.01) greater percentage reduction in mean LDL-C (-61.4%) than rosuvastatin alone (-44.9%), with a mean incremental reduction of -16.4% (95%CI -26.3 to -6.53). Reported side effects were generally mild, nonspecific, and similar among treatment groups. There were no significant increases or changes in clinical laboratory tests, particularly those assessing muscle and liver function. There was no significant pharmacokinetic drug interaction between ezetimibe and rosuvastatin. CONCLUSIONS: Co-administration of ezetimibe 10 mg with rosuvastatin 10 mg daily caused a significant incremental reduction in LDL-C compared with rosuvastatin alone. Moreover, co-administering ezetimibe and rosuvastatin was well tolerated in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), a marker of cardiac safety during antipsychotic treatment.

BACKGROUND: The potential cardiotoxicity of antipsychotic drugs is well known. The N-terminal fragment of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is considered to be a possible biomarker in clinical practice for the diagnosis and prognosis in patients with suspected heart failure. This pilot evaluation tests the influence of antipsychotic drugs on NT-proBNP concentration in view of the hypothesis that NT-proBNP could be used as marker for the tolerability and safety of antipsychotic medications. METHODS: On a routine basis, patient's blood samples were examined for NT-proBNP on days 0, 7 and 21 after initiation of a new antipsychotic monotherapy. All plasma samples were analysed for NT-proBNP using an electrochemiluminiscence immunoassay "ECLIA" (proBNP kit, Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) on an Elecsys 2010 analyser. RESULTS: A difference was found in NT-proBNP values at day 0 between patients younger versus older than 40 years. Also women had comparatively lower NTproBNP on days 7 and 21. Smokers' levels of NT-proBNP values decreased more from day 0 to day 7. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that antipsychotic medication influences the plasma concentration of NT-proBNP, suggesting a possible method to identify high-risk-patients for cardiovascular adverse effects due to antipsychotic medication. Larger studies should further test this hypothesis.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alcohol and road safety behaviour among New Zealand tertiary students.

In New Zealand, as in most developed countries, rates of injury mortality and morbidity peak in late adolescence (15-19 years), when they account for around three quarters of fatalities and a third of hospitalisations. Road traffic crashes account for over half of fatal injuries in New Zealand as in most developed countries. Individuals engaged in post-secondary education, i.e., tertiary students, are a large and important subgroup of young people exposed to the risk of road traffic injury. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of unsafe road behaviours and to examine the role of demographic variables, alcohol use, driver licence status, and transport needs. Participants were 1,480 students (899 women) from 12 residential halls in Dunedin, New Zealand. They anonymously completed a questionnaire on alcohol use and road safety at the start of the 2000 academic year. A sub-sample of 967 students completed a follow-up survey six months later. The mean age of the sample was 18.3 years (SD=1.6), and 88% had a driver licence. Male gender and drinking status were independently associated with speeding, drink-driving and drink-riding, but not seatbelt use. Drinking levels showed a strong dose-response relationship with the prevalence of unsafe behaviours with the exception of seatbelt use. In marked contrast to drinking levels, which increased from baseline to follow-up, drink-driving and drink-riding levels decreased, probably reflecting the reduced motor vehicle transport needs of students in residential halls, relative to their out-of-term living environments. In addition to various existing, evidence-based countermeasures, application of interventions for reducing hazardous drinking may be required to help reduce road traffic injury rates in this population.

Accidents, Traffic↗