Every week, we will provide a brief summary and a link to the published abstract of newly published papers selected from the worldwide literature as being of particular interest to the SelfCare community.
BENEFITS, LIMITS AND DANGER OF EPHEDRINE AND PSEUDOEPHEDRINE AS NASAL DECONGESTANTS.
By: Laccourreye O, Werner A, Giroud J-P, Couloigner V, Bonfils P.
European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases 2015; 132: 31-34.
Summary: The reviewers determined that the two agents are highly effective for the treatment of nasal congestion. However, due to their severe cardiovascular and neurological side effects, even at low dose, they should not be used for the common cold. Further, sale without prescription should not be allowed.
GUIDELINE: VULVOVAGINAL CANDIDOSIS.
By: Mendling W.
Mycoses 2015; 58 (S1): 1-15.
Summary: Typical symptoms of this condition include pre-menstrual itching, burning, redness, and odourless discharge. However, only 35-40% of women reporting genital itching, in fact, suffer from vulvovaginal candidosis. All vaginal preparations of polyenes, imidazoles, ciclopirox olamine, and the oral triazoles (fluconazole, itraconazole) are equally effective. Resistance to C. albicans does not play a significant role in the use of polyenes or azoles. The author feels that because of the high rate of false indications, self-treatment by the patient should be discouraged.
MINOXIDIL TOPICAL SOLUTION: AN UNSAFE PRODUCT FORCHILDREN.
By: Claudet I, Cortey C, Honorat R, Franchitto N.
Pediatric Emergency Care 2015; 31: 44-46.
Summary: Minoxidil hair formulation is used for male and female androgenic hair loss. The authors feel this OTC product is wrongly considered safe. The ingestion of a few milliliters by a child can lead to significant intoxication and they go on to report a case of significant intoxication after ingestion. This formulation should be strictly kept out of reach of children and manufacturers should enhance child-resistance security of packaging. They question the OTC availability of it.
SELF-CARE FOR MINOR ILLNESS.
By: Gustafsson S, Vikman I, Axelsson K, Sävenstedt S.
Primary Health Care Research and Development 2015; 16: 71-78.
Summary: The authors set out to describe experiences with, and knowledge of, minor ailments. To assess knowledge of such situations, an ordinal scale ( 1 to 4) was used across seven conditions: common cold, sore throat, sinusitis, otitis media, conjunctivitis, gastroenteritis, and UTI. Having had experienced a specific illness correlated with self-reported knowledge about it. Preferred self-care interventions differed between the various ailments, but rest and self-medication were commonly used. Respondents seemed quite educated on when to contact medical help, as 3.6% said they would contact health care facilities for a common cold, while 80.1% would do so for a UTI.
ILLNESS PERCEPTION AND RELATED BEHAVIOUR IN LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS – A EUROPEAN STUDY.
By: Hordijk PM, Broekhuizen BD, Butler CC, Coenen S, Godycki-Cwirko M, Goossens H, Hood K, Smith R, van Vugt SF, Little P, Verheij TJ; GRACE Project Group.
Family Practice 2015; 32: 152-8
Summary: Adult patients presenting at medical clinics with acute cough were surveyed. Patients felt unwell for an average of 9 days prior to seeking care. They felt recovered 2 weeks after visiting their MD, while 21% did not feel back to normal at 4 weeks. 28% re-consulted with their doctor at some point during the illness.
ESTIMATING THE BURDEN OF MINOR AILMENT CONSULTATIONS IN GENERAL PRACTICES AND EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS THROUGH RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF ROUTINE DATA IN NORTH EAST SCOTLAND.
By: Fielding S, Porteous T, Ferguson J, Maskrey V, Blyth A, Paudyal V, Barton G, Holland R, Bond CM, Watson MC.
Family Practice 2015; 32: 165-72.
Summary: The aim was to estimate the prevalence and type of minor ailment consults that take place in a number of general practice and emergency departments. In total, 494 GP and 550 ED consults were assessed, and of these, 13.2% and 5.3% respectively were categorized as minor enough to warrant management in community pharmacies. When extrapolated to the national level, such cases could amount to 18 million GP and 650,000 ED visits that could be re-directed to community pharmacy care.
REAL-WORLD EFFECTIVENESS OF E-CIGARETTES WHEN USED TO AID SMOKING CESSATION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL POPULATIONSTUDY.
By: Brown J, Beard E, Kotz D, Michie S, West R.
Addiction. 2014 Sep;109(9):1531-40
Summary: A large cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of the English population was the target. The study included 5863 adults who had smoked within the previous 12 months, and had made at least one quit attempt during that period with either an e-cigarette only (n = 464), NRT bought over-the-counter only (n = 1922), or no aid in their most recent quit attempt (n = 3477). E-cigarette users were more likely to report abstinence than either those who used NRT bought over-the-counter (OR = 2.23) or no aid (OR = 1.38). Among smokers who have attempted to stop without professional support, it was concluded that those who use e-cigarettes are more likely to report continued abstinence than those who used a licensed NRT product bought over-the-counter, or no aid to cessation.
ETHANOL PHARMACOKINETICS IN NEONATES AND INFANTS.
By: Marek E, Kraft WK.
Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 2014 Oct 22;76:90-7
Summary: The authors note that ethanol has been used for years in pediatric liquid medications, yet the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of ethanol in this vulnerable population have not been well characterized. The purpose of this review was to raise awareness of ethanol use as an excipient in such medications and to provide insight into clearance rates of ethanol in babies. They felt it remains unclear what ethanol exposure is actually safe for use. The Food and Drug Administration and American Academy of Pediatrics have both taken action, by either setting limits of ethanol content in OTC medications or by recommending restricted exposure to ethanol-containing pediatric formulations.
PREVALENCE OF SELF-MEDICATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORSIN AN ELDERLY POPULATION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
By: Jerez-Roig J, Medeiros LF, Silva VA, Bezerra CL, Cavalcante LA, Piuvezam G, Souza DL. rolex daytona replica
Drugs Aging. 2014 Dec;31(12):883-96.
Summary: Twenty-eight articles were used in the review. The prevalence of self-medication varied between 4 and 87 percent, with most between 20 and 60 percent. The most commonly used agents were analgesics/antipyretics. Variables that were positively associated with use included (amongst others): female gender, depression, and recent hospitalizations.
MARKET TRENDS IN BABY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS ANDIMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE.
By: Gao X, Simpson EL.
Pediatr Dermatol. 2014 Nov-Dec;31(6):734-8.
Summary: Using market research data, the authors found that the prevalence of skin care product use in infants is high and conflicts with current recommended skin care guidelines.