British journal of clinical pharmacology
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · Sep 1984
Disposition of betamethasone in parturient women after intramuscular administration.
When betamethasone phosphate equivalent to 8 mg betamethasone was administered intramuscularly in solution (Celestone Injection) to pregnant women, a large proportion of this ester was absorbed unchanged. Bioavailability of betamethasone from the phosphate ester was as high as after intravenous injection. ⋯ After administration of either formulation, maternal plasma cortisol concentrations fell towards a basal level but were rising again within 2 to 3 days of the last dose. We conclude that Celestone Chronodose does not provide prolonged release of betamethasone and offers no advantage over Celestone Injection.
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · May 1984
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialObjective evaluation of dextromethorphan and glaucine as antitussive agents.
Twenty-four inpatients affected by chronic cough completed a single-dose double-blind cross-over study of placebo, glaucine 30 mg and dextromethorphan 30 mg. The study was carried out using a balanced incomplete block design, each patient receiving two of the three experimental treatments. ⋯ Coughs after dextromethorphan and glaucine were fewer than coughs after placebo: however only glaucine was significantly different from placebo in reducing coughs. Treatments were well tolerated: clinical results included a reduction in pulse rate after both dextromethorphan and glaucine , and a large number of patients reporting side effects after dextromethorphan administration.
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · Feb 1984
Comparative StudyHaemodynamics and plasma concentrations following sublingual GTN and intravenous, or inhaled, isosorbide dinitrate.
We measured plasma nitrate levels and haemodynamics following sublingual glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) (0.5 mg), or isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) administered intravenously (0.5 mg) or by inhalation (1.25 mg) in 23 patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation for investigation of chest pain. Peak levels were detected at 90 s and 5 min following intravenous and inhaled ISDN respectively and at 3 min following sublingual GTN. Intravenous and inhaled ISDN produced similar plasma levels at 30 s and both were significantly greater than following sublingual GTN. ⋯ Maximal haemodynamic responses were greater following ISDN than GTN, with little difference between the two preparations of ISDN. Haemodynamic responses were more sustained following inhaled ISDN than following sublingual GTN or intravenous ISDN, the latter two being similar in this respect. These findings suggest that inhaled ISDN may provide more rapid and sustained relief from angina than sublingual GTN.
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · Jan 1984
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialPencil and paper tests--sensitivity to psychotropic drugs.
The literature on pencil and paper tests and the effects of psychotropic drugs is reviewed. Performance at digit symbol substitution, symbol copying, letter cancellation, arithmetic, logic and cognitive processing with a relatively constant level of triazolam was compared with placebo. ⋯ Pencil and paper tests which measure various skills are useful for detecting drug effects. Letter cancellation, arithmetic and DSST appear to be most sensitive, although logic and symbol copying may be useful.
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Br J Clin Pharmacol · Nov 1983
Active metabolites of acenocoumarol: do they contribute to the therapeutic effect?
The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of racemic acenocoumarol (AC), the amino (AM) and acetamido (AA) derivative were investigated in healthy volunteers after administration of a single oral (10 mg) dose. All three coumarins were rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. The elimination half-lives were 10.9, 10.4, and 4.1 h, for AC, AM and AA, respectively. ⋯ The oral administration of AC resulted in a rise in prothrombin time with a maximum effect at 24 to 30 h. No anticoagulant activity was observed upon the administration of AM and AA. The results indicate that the compounds AM and AA, if they are formed out of AC at all, do not contribute to the anticoagulant activity of AC.