Orodispersible and transmucosal alternative medications for symptom control in adults.

Background: Paediatric palliative care makes frequent use of orodispersible and transmucosal drug delivery routes. The limited published experience of this practice suggests that it enables the delivery of needle-free symptom relief, with the potential to train family carers to administer anticipatory medications without reliance on trained health professionals.

Aims: To identify orodispersible and potential transmucosal alternatives that may be used in adults in the event of a patient having no oral or intravenous route and no access to subcutaneous injections.

X-ray microanalysis of mineralized matrix vesicles of experimental saccular aneurysms.

An energy dispersive X-ray microanalytical study was designed to examine the mineral deposits in matrix vesicles found in the walls of experimental aneurysms from two rabbits (103 and 1071 days postoperatively) and two sheep aneurysms (234 and 1202 days postoperatively). The freeze-substitution technique was adopted for use to retain inorganic ions in situ. Numerous, various sized extracellular electron-dense structures, believed to be matrix vesicles were observed.