International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine - Volume 12, issue 2

Authors: Cromheecke, Manon E. | Yazdanbakhsh, Aria P. | de Mol, Bas A.J.M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: liability

Keywords: Mechanical heart valves, accident analysis, risk perception

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 81-87, 1999

Authors: Coelho, Dawn | Baldwin, Steve

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Objective: Rey and Walter (1997) published a notable review on 396 children and teenagers given electroshock therapy (ECT) between 1942 and 1996. In a contemporary climate of evidence‐based medicine and data‐driven clinical practice, reappraisal of their observations is defensible. Method: The systematic data collated by Rey and Walter (1997) is examined. Results: Comparisons between a meta‐analysis and a review of published ECT literature are discussed.

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 89-91, 1999

Authors: Levi, N. | Schroeder, T.V.

Article Type: Research Article

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 93-100, 1999

Authors: Somech, R. | Zangen, S. | Davidson, S. | Merlob, P.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We retrospectively studied 79 preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome treated with synthetic surfactant during the first day of life in order to determine the prediction value of clinical variables and the response in surfactant treatment for later development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in those infants. The infants were divided into three groups according to the clinical course of disease. The response in surfactant treatment was defined as the reduction in oxygen index. The overall incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia was 24%. A lower birth weight and gestational age were observed among the infants who developed bronchopulmonary dysplasia (p={} 0.001). Infants …who failed to show a reduction in the oxygen index at 6 hours after surfactant replacement therapy were at high risk of later development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death (p={} 0.01). There was no difference between the bronchopulmonary dysplasia and non‐bronchopulmonary dysplasia in Apgar score, sex, fetal distress, mode of delivery and first pH. The 1‐minute Apgar score was lower (p={} 0.001) and more fetal distress (p={} 0.01) were noted in the infants who later died. Failure to reduce the oxygen index after surfactant treatment may provide early identification of infants who will develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia or death. Show more

Keywords: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, oxygen index, respiratory distress syndrome, surfactant therapy

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 101-107, 1999

Authors: Finer, David | Tomson, Göran

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The advent of market economy since 1986 in Vietnam has thrown the drug market into chaos with potential risks to consumers from unsupervised widespread self‐medication. In the virtual absence of non‐commercial drug information to consumers, the mass media may play a key role. The objectives of the study were to describe drug information in the Vietnamese press, particularly in terms of risk/benefit, using a combined journalistic‐pharmaceutical coding instrument. A quantitative content analysis was made of all articles (n={} 620) on medicinal drugs, including traditional medicines, published 1993–1994 in the four Vietnamese newspapers ‘Phu Nu Viet Nam’ (‘Women in …Vietnam’), ‘Suc Khoe’ (‘Health’), ‘Dai doan ket’ (‘Great Unity’) and ‘Tien Phong’ (‘Vanguard’). As this is to the best of our knowledge the first study of its kind in a low‐income country, the diversity of coverage in the newspapers as well as the sheer volume of drug articles were noteworthy findings. Almost half (44%) of the articles were about traditional medicines, 20% about anti‐infectives, and 15% about gastro‐intestinal/alimentary drugs. Over half of the articles on modern medicines dealt with drugs on Vietnam’s Essential Drug List. Headline tendency was unbalanced with 39% positive, 55% neutral and 6% negative. Risk/benefit information was inadequate with information on side‐effects provided in 12%, and on counter‐indications in 13% of all articles. Exactly half (50%) of articles mentioned dosage, but only 2% drug price. Authors were mainly doctors, pharmacists and journalists. The four newspapers differed in profiles. ‘Health’ did the best job of providing drug information followed by the women’s newspaper, the youth paper and the senior citizen paper. However, in general, the relative paucity of information about side effects, counterindications, and drug prices, as well as the lack of independent journalistic drug reporting gives some cause for concern. Show more

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 109-122, 1999

Article Type: Other

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 123-125, 1999

Article Type: Other

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 127-133, 1999

Article Type: Book Review

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 135-141, 1999

Article Type: Other

Citation: International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 143-149, 1999