[Treatment of acute pain during drug-assisted rehabilitation].

Patients on drug-assisted rehabilitation have the same right to pain relief as others. Techniques that reduce the need for opioids should be used when possible in opioid-dependent individuals who need treatment of acute and post-operative pain. Substitution treatment should always be continued.

[Toxicological screening of medicines and drugs of abuse in emergency cases].

Background: In some situations, and particularly when intoxications are suspected, it would be advantageous if medicines and drugs of abuse could be swiftly detected in serum or urine.

Material And Methods: The Department of Clinical Pharmacology at St. Olav University Hospital has since 2004 been developing a comprehensive toxicology service (at all hours 7-days/week) for immediate quantitative analysis of between 80 and 90 substances.

Severe poisoning with sotalol and verapamil. Recovery after 4 h of normothermic CPR followed by extra corporeal heart lung assist.

In acute poisoning with beta-blocking drugs and calcium-channel blockers patients may present with serious symptoms. We present a case of life-threatening sotalol and verapamil intoxication in a 29-year-old female suffering from depression. She was admitted to our hospital a few hours after she had taken 3.

[Reversible infertility from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs].

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors may interfere with ovulation and the rupture of the follicle, causing reversible infertility.

Method: Literature review.

Results: Reversible infertility is shown both in animal and human studies of these drugs.

[Acute deliberate self-poisonings in the area of Trondheim, 1978-2002].

Background: Deliberate self-poisoning is a big health problem. We wanted to study if there had been changes in drug use, morbidity and mortality in this group over the last 25 years in our hospital's catchment area.

Material And Methods: In this study, 924 patients admitted to our hospital after deliberate self-poisoning in 1978, 1987 and 2002 were studied prospectively.

Plasma concentrations of monoethylglycinexylidide during and after breast augmentation.

MEGX (monoethylglycinexylidide) is the main metabolite of lidocaine and is 83 percent as potent as an antiarrhythmic drug and with the same toxicity as lidocaine. In this study, plasma levels of MEGX were measured in 10 other wise healthy women during and after breast augmentation. A total dose of 825 to 1,280 mg of lidocaine of 0.

Absorption of effervescent paracetamol tablets relative to ordinary paracetamol tablets in healthy volunteers.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the rate of absorption between ordinary paracetamol tablets and effervescent paracetamol tablets.

Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers participated in an open randomised crossover study and were given a 1000-mg dose of either ordinary paracetamol tablets (2 x 500 mg Panodil tablets, SmithKline Beecham) or effervescent paracetamol tablets (2 x 500 mg Pinex Brusetablett, Alpharma AS) with a 3-week washout period in between. Blood samples were collected for 3 h.

Focus on mobilisation after lower abdominal surgery. A double-blind randomised comparison of epidural bupivacaine with morphine vs. lidocaine with morphine for postoperative analgesia.

Background: Epidural infusion of morphine, usually with bupivacaine, for postoperative pain relief has proved to be safe and effective. Lidocaine with its short duration of action and low toxicity may be an alternative to bupivacaine. The clinical importance of the choice of local anaesthetic drug on mobilisation after lower abdominal surgery has not been studied previously.