[Drugs and patient information. Writing of instructions].

The main accusation against package inserts is that they are not understood by the patients: the vocabulary used is uncommon and the information is not always relevant. A recent European directive on package inserts for drugs concerning human use specifies the items that must be mentioned. Following this directive and regarding patient interest, a presentation for notices is proposed in which the subject headings are presented as questions and the text is a guide to drug practical use to provide the elements of surveillance.

Tolerability of ramipril in a multicenter study of mild-to-moderate hypertension in general practice.

In this study, the tolerability and safety of ramipril, as monotherapy and in combination with a low dose of furosemide, were assessed in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension in general practice. After a placebo run-in phase, patients received ramipril as monotherapy in a dose of 2.5 to 5 mg daily for 6 weeks.

[Tolerance to Triatec in monotherapy and in combination with Lasilix in a French multicenter study].

In a multicenter study in general practice, the tolerability and safety of ramipril alone and in combination with a low dose of furosemide were assessed in moderate hypertension. After a placebo run-in period involving 770 patients, 661 were included in the active treatment period and received ramipril alone (2.5-5 mg/day).

[Prolonged hypocoagulability following the ingestion of anticoagulant raticides].

Voluntary ingestion of concentrated anticoagulant rodenticides leads to prolonged hypocoagulability sometimes accompanied by haemorrhage. The authors report 11 cases referred to the Paris Anti-Poisons Centre. The products implicated were chlorophacinone, bromadiolone, and warfarin.