[Adequacy of the safety of metamizole and agranulocytosis].

Objective: To analyze whether the drug safety update issued by the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Healthcare Products (AEMPS), dated October 30, 2018, on agranulocytosis and metamizole contains accurate and necessary information to protect patients from the presentation of this adverse reaction (AR) and if the official documentation of medicines containing metamizole for doctors, pharmacists and the general population conforms to the guidelines of the AEMPS to reduce this risk.

Setting And Participants: Drug safety update, bibliographic search, information at the European Medicines Agency on metamizole drugs marketed in Spain, technical datasheets, leaflets, Bot PLUS Health Information Database and Catalog of Pharmaceutical Specialties. Notification of 4cases of agranulocytosis due to metamizole after the drug safety update was issued.

[Study of the relationship between adherence to back school and coping with pain in patients with chronic low back pain].

Introduction: Back School (BS) is a treatment modality for patients with chronic low back pain with educational contents associated with other therapeutic measures such as exercise. If followed, it is effective but it is well known that it is difficult to make changes to daily habits. This study evaluated whether patients completing BS had a predominance of active strategies in coping with pain, as they adhered better to the recommendations of BS.

Fluticasone in mild to moderate atopic dermatitis relapse: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The long-term efficacy of corticosteroids to prevent atopic dermatitis (AD) relapses has partially been addressed in children. This study compared an intermittent dosing regimen of fluticasone propionate (FP) cream 0.05% with its vehicle base in reducing the risk of relapse in children with stabilized AD.

Hemodynamic impact of isobaric levobupivacaine versus hyperbaric bupivacaine for subarachnoid anesthesia in patients aged 65 and older undergoing hip surgery.

Background: The altered hemodynamics, and therefore the arterial hypotension is the most prevalent adverse effect after subarachnoid anesthesia. The objective of the study was to determine the exact role of local anesthetic selection underlying spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in the elderly patient. We conducted a descriptive, observational pilot study to assess the hemodynamic impact of subarachnoid anesthesia with isobaric levobupivacaine versus hyperbaric bupivacaine for hip fracture surgery.

Gender influence in the quantity of drugs used in primary care.

Objective: To analyze whether for an equal health problem there are gender differences in the drugs used in an adult population attended in the Health Care Centers of the Valencian Community (Spain).

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out between February-August 1997. The independent variables were: socio-economic parameters, frequency of visits, and self-perceived or diagnosed health problems, and the dependent one the number of drugs consumed.

Alternate-day dosing of atorvastatin: effects in treating type 2 diabetic patients with dyslipidaemia.

An analysis is made of the effect of alternateday dosing of atorvastatin and standard once-daily dosing, based on mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) reduction from baseline in type 2 diabetics. Forty-four type 2 diabetics were enrolled in the study. In compliance with American Diabetes Association (ADA) and National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel (NCEP-III) guidelines, LDL-C<100 mg/dl was chosen as the treatment target.

[Quality of the publication of adverse drug reactions in the letters to the editor section of four Spanish internal medicine and general medicine journals].

Objective: To assess the quality and relevance of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) published as Letters to the Editor (LE) in Spanish medical journals.

Design: Observational study.

Participants: LE on adverse drug reactions published over 5 years (1994-98).

Prescribers' indications for drugs in childhood: a survey of five European countries (Spain, France, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Russia).

Background: Indication-based, in comparison to diagnoses-based, drug utilization studies in children are scarce in the literature.

Aim: To determine the adequacy of the prescriber's indications for specific drug treatments compared to the current literature in five different European countries; and to show the possibilities of performing indication-based drug utilization studies.

Design: a descriptive, cross-sectional, international study.

Effects of dopamine in isolated rat colon strips.

The aim of the present work is to investigate the effects of dopamine on isolated rat colon strips, and whether dopamine receptors are involved in these effects. Experiments on spontaneous motility and under potassium contraction were performed with dopamine and isoprenaline, both in the absence and presence of antagonists (distal colon strips, isotonic recording, Tyrode solution, 31 degrees C, 1 g of resting tension). At higher concentration (10(-4) mol/L), dopamine abolished spontaneous motility of the rat colon and this effect was not modified by antagonists.

Drug utilisation in outpatient children. A comparison among Tenerife, Valencia, and Barcelona (Spain), Toulouse (France), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Smolensk (Russia).

Introduction: Scarce information about comparative diagnostic and therapeutic patterns in paediatric outpatients of different countries is found in the literature.

Objective: To describe the similarities and differences observed in diagnosis and therapeutic patterns of paediatric patients of seven locations in different countries.

Design: Cross-sectional, prospective, international comparative, descriptive study.

Pharmacological treatment of acute otitis media in children. A comparison among seven locations: Tenerife, Barcelona and Valencia (Spain), Toulouse (France), Smolensk (Russia), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Sofia (Bulgaria).

Objective: To describe patterns observed in the treatment of acute otitis media (AOM) in several locations of five countries.

Patients And Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Random sample of 12,264 paediatric outpatients seen by paediatricians or general practitioners (GPs).