Assessment of the drug therapy for sexually transmitted diseases in the White Nile State-Sudan

Irrational drug prescribing is a global problem. It results in development of resistance to antimicrobials, ineffective treatment, adverse effects and economic burden on patient and society. This study was carried out to assess the use of drugs for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases [STDs] and to determine their prevalence in the White Nile State-Sudan 2002-2003. Twenty urban health centers were selected randomly, 30 prescriptions were collected from each health center and assessed against recommended standard therapy. The appropriate drug therapy according to diagnosis was selected in only 10.6% of the collected prescriptions, only 42.2% of them were with appropriate doses and duration of therapy, poly pharmacy was detected in 28.8%, generic prescribing in 35.5% and possible drug-drug interactions in 17.3% of the total collected sample. The prevalence of STDs among total patients was 1.9%. 78.8% of the cases were females, 59.3% were 15-29 years old and Kenana Health Centers showed the highest prevalence of STDs 3.4%. [P<0.05] The results of the present study revealed that prescribing practices for the treatment of STDs were illogical; the reference chart prepared by federal ministry of health Sudan National HIV/AIDS/STD program must be reevaluated, because it is inappropriate and illogical. Continuous training courses are urgently needed locally and nationally to raise the updating levels of medical

Radiological changes and progress in patient with pulmonary Tuberculosis following treatment with daily versus intermittent short course regimens

This is a prospective comparative randomized study carried out at Kosti teaching hospital 2006- 2008. To determine the radiological findings and to evaluate the radiological progress in patient with pulmonary Tuberculosis treated with daily versus intermittent short course regimens. A total of 275 smear positive new cases of Tuberculosis were enrolled and randomized in to two groups, intermittent group [A] and daily regimen group [B] .X-Ray film was done initially and at the end of treatment for each patient. It was found that 31% of the X-Ray films were normal. Concerning the progress of minimal lesion significantly high percentage improved to normal X-Ray 58% in group A and 53% in group B, 42% in group A and 40% in group B stayed as minimal lesion. The results of far advanced lesion revealed that intermittent regimen improved 16.6% of the films to normal and minimal lesion, 8.3% to moderate lesion, 33.3% moderately advanced lesion and 25% remained unchanged, while in the daily regimen, 21% improved to normal and minimal lesion, 5.2% to moderate lesion, 27% to moderately advanced lesion and 27.6%. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between the two groups. Conversion of minimal lesions to normal X-Ray was significantly higher in the intermittent group and the conversion of far advanced lesions to normal was significantly higher in the daily regimen

Buoyant tablet formulations: biopharmaceutical consideration

Medium viscosity grade hydroxypropyl methylcellulose [4000 cps], carbopol 934p, stearyl alcohol and ascorbic acid were used to prepare six tablet formulations of captopril. Application of high compression force and carbopol were shown to exert an adverse effect on floating capability of the tablets. Tablet buoyancy was enhanced in response to presence of sufficient amount of stearyl alcohol in the formulation. Drug release was shown to be dependent on the amount of the polymer added and the drug loading level. No significant effect of hardness variation was observed on drug release profiles, moreover, patterns of the drug release were apparently enhanced with formulations contained relative large amount of stearyl alcohol. Non-floating tablet formulation [formulation A] revealed the lowest drug plasma level whereas floating tablets with enhanced invitro drug release [formulation F] exhibited an improved rate and extent of drug absorption compared to formulations A and B. Although the attained average Cmax and AUC with formulation F were 30% and 86% of that revealed by conventional tablets, respectively, tablets of formulation F were capable to deliver captopril over 12 hr with minimum fluctuation in drug plasma level. Good correlation [r = 0.9599] was found between invitro drug release and invivo drug absorbed from the floating tablets of formulations B and F