Analgesia for outpatient surgery: placebo versus naproxen sodium (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) given before or after surgery.

One hundred and eighty patients scheduled for day-care surgery were allocated randomly to one of three groups to receive naproxen sodium 1100 mg 1 h prior to surgery, naproxen sodium 1100 mg immediately after surgery, or placebo. The pre-surgery naproxen sodium group had significantly lower pain scores 1 h post-operatively and at discharge than the placebo group. At discharge both treatment groups were better than placebo.

Endothelin-1 and cerebral blood flow: influence of hypoxia, hypercapnia and indomethacin on circulating endothelin levels in healthy volunteers.

We investigated the effect of moderate (FiO2 13%) and light hypoxia (FiO2 17%) and hypercapnia (CO2 2-4%) with or without indomethacin on circulating levels of endothelin/endothelins (ET) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in healthy volunteers. In protocol A, 23 subjects were exposed to moderate hypoxia. In protocol B, 29 subjects were randomized to one of four groups: (1) placebo, (2) indomethacin, (3) indomethacin+light hypoxia and (4) indomethacin+hypercapnia.

N-acetylcysteine by metered dose inhaler in the treatment of chronic bronchitis: a multi-centre study.

Sixty-five patients with chronic bronchitis were studied at five different centres in a double-blind, randomized trial. Two parallel groups were treated with either N-acetylcysteine or placebo by metered dose inhalers for 16 weeks. Following a 1-week run-in period, each patient recorded subjective impressions of the drug action on their bronchitic symptoms in a diary once a week.

[Steroid response after long-term treatment with oral N-acetylcysteine in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis].

The significance of long-term treatment with N-acetylcystein (NAC) for the steroid response on pulmonary function and general symptoms was investigated in patients with chronic bronchitis and moderate respiratory obstruction. All of the patients had received preliminary treatment with oral NAC in a dosage of 1,200 mg daily (Mucomyst Retard) or a placebo for 22 weeks in a double-blind design. After the conclusion of the long-term treatment but before the code was revealed, 37 non-allergic patients with irreversible respiratory obstruction participated in a follow-up investigation with 30 mg prednisone daily for 14 days.

Farmer's lung in infants and small children.

A boy and a girl, 10 weeks and 3 years of age, respectively, were admitted to our department with low temperature, dry cough, fatigue and weight loss. In both patients pulmonary X-rays showed diffuse, bilateral, micronodular infiltrations, and sparse signs of fibrosis. Serum IgG and blood eosinophils were abnormally high.