Background: Deaths due to cardiovascular diseases is on the rise, with hypertension as its most important risk factor. Effective management of hypertension, however, remains a challenge. Globally, only one in five adults with hypertension have it under control. The situation is worse in sub-Saharan Africa where hypertension prevalence is highest. Telepharmacy presents a great opportunity to enhance the way we address hypertension management.
Objectives: This study sought to determine the effectiveness of pharmaceutical care interventions implemented through telepharmacy on medication adherence, practice of therapeutic lifestyles and overall blood pressure control among patients with hypertension.
Methods: This was a randomized control trial conducted among individuals with hypertension recruited from two Ghanaian hospitals from May 2022 to December 2022. Patients with confirmed diagnosis of hypertension were recruited and assigned into a control or intervention group. Both groups were followed for six months with the intervention group receiving telepharmacy services in addition to standard clinical care. Outcome measures included changes in blood pressure, medication adherence, lifestyle modifications, identification and resolution of pharmaceutical care issues.
Results: One hundred and eighteen (118) patients with hypertension were involved in the study. There was a statistically significant reduction in mean blood pressures for the intervention group after six months (Systolic-148.1 + 23.6, to 134.8 + 13.7, Diastolic- 85.8 + 9.8, to 79.5 + 8.7) ( < 0.05). The proportion of patients with adequately controlled blood pressure increased from 39.0% to 66.1%. There was also an increase in the mean adherence score ( < 0.05). The number of participants who adopted lifestyle modifications such as reducing salt consumption (89.5%) and exercising (77.2%) increased. The majority (87%) of all pharmaceutical care issues were identified and resolved over the six-month period.
Conclusion: Telepharmacy service provided via phone calls was effective in improving the control of blood pressure. It also promoted the practice of therapeutic lifestyle modifications, medication adherence and identification of pharmaceutical care issues among patients with hypertension.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10746503 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100381 | DOI Listing |
Int J Surg
January 2025
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Background: This study tested the hypothesis that extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ECSWT) effectively rescues critical limb ischemia (CLI) in mice through the upregulation of GPR120, which protects against inflammation and angiogenesis to restore blood flow in the ischemic area.
Methods And Results: Compared with the control, ECSWT-induced GPR120-mediated anti-inflammatory effects significantly suppressed the expression of inflammatory signaling biomarkers (TAK1/MAPK family/NF-κB/IL-1β/IL-6/TNF-α/MCP-1) in HUVECs, and these effects were abolished by silencing GPR120 or by the GPR120 antagonist AH7614 (all P < 0.001).
Int J Surg
January 2025
Department of Surgery, Virgen del Rocio University Hospital, Seville, Spain.
Pancreatic surgery is considered one of the most challenging interventions by many surgeons, mainly due to retroperitoneal location and proximity to key and delicate vascular structures. These factors make pancreatic resection a demanding procedure, with successful rates far from optimal and frequent postoperative complications. Surgical planning is essential to improve patient outcomes, and in this regard, many technological advances made in the last few years have proven to be extremely useful in medical fields.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Surg
January 2025
Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Background: Microsurgery demands an intensive period of skill acquisition due to its inherent complexity. The development and implementation of innovative training methods are essential for enhancing microsurgical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a simulation training program on the clinical results of fingertip replantation surgeries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Surg
January 2025
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nanchong Central Hospital, The Affiliated Nanchong Central Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong Hospital of Beijing Anzhen Hospital Capital Medical University, Nanchong, China.
Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of endovascular versus open repair for the treatment of patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysm (DTAA).
Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant studies was performed. Outcome data, including postoperative mortality and morbidity, operative details, all-cause survival, freedom from aortic-related survival and freedom from aortic-related re-intervention, were independently extracted by two authors in a standardized way.
JAMA Pediatr
January 2025
Vascular Assessment and Management Service, Department of Anaesthesia and Pain, Queensland Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Queensland, Australia.
Importance: Pediatric peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) insertion can be difficult and time-consuming, frequently requiring multiple insertion attempts and often resulting in increased anxiety, distress, and treatment avoidance among children and their families. Ultrasound-guided PIVC insertion is a superior alternative to standard technique (palpation and visualization) in high-risk patients.
Objective: To compare first-time insertion success of PIVCs inserted with ultrasound guidance compared with standard technique (palpation and visualization) across all risk categories in the general pediatric hospital population.
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