Rufinamide for pediatric patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: a comprehensive overview.

Rufinamide is a triazole derivative with broad-spectrum antiepileptic effects that is unrelated to any antiepileptic drug currently on the market. The European Commission and the US FDA approved rufinamide in 2007 and 2008, respectively, for adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in children 4 years of age or older and adults. The mechanism of action of rufinamide is not completely understood but it is believed to prolong the inactive state of sodium channels, therefore limiting excessive firing of sodium-dependent action potentials.

Do clinicians tell patients they have prehypertension?

Background: the clinical utility of the prehypertension label is questionable. We sought to estimate how often patients with prehypertension are being told about it by their primary care clinicians.

Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study of adult patients visiting practices within the North Carolina Family Medicine Research Network in summer 2008.

Latino patients' preferences for medication information and pharmacy services.

Objectives: To examine (1) Latino patients' language preferences for receiving verbal and written medication information in community pharmacies, (2) the types of problems and concerns Latino patients report about using their medications, and (3) the factors that Latino patients believe are important when choosing a community pharmacy.

Methods: Individuals were eligible to participate if they were 18 years of age or older, if they self-identified as being Latino, and if they or their children were currently taking prescription medications. All 93 participating individuals were interviewed in Spanish.

Latinos' sources of medication and medication information in the United States and their home countries.

Objective: The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate what predisposing, enabling, and need factors are related to the purchase of medicines from "tiendas" and other countries and (2) to describe who Latinos typically receive medication information from in the United States and their home countries. In the United States, Latino grocery stores are referred to as "tiendas".

Methods: Individuals were eligible to participate if they: were age 18 and over, self-identified as being Latino, and they or their children were currently taking prescription medications.

Nutritional issues in long-term care.

Because long-term care residents often have chronic illnesses and complex care regimens, nutritional issues are common in these populations. Furthermore, management is complicated because some residents are terminally ill and under palliative care treatment plans that allow for dehydration and low oral intake. As a result, the medical management of nutrition is complex and challenging for medical providers caring for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care settings.