[Quality development at a medical department]. / Kvalitetsudvikling på medicinsk afdeling.

Organization on medical wards have an impact on patient continuity, both regarding contact with physicians and nurses. Highest continuity was found in teams with approximately 20 beds. Members ought to spend most of their time in the team. This was found to be especially important for the internal medical specialists. The amount of blood samples taken was lowest in the team with the highest patient-specialist continuity. Teams with or without continuity had the same high level of patient satisfaction.

Ranitidine and high-dose antacid in reflux oesophagitis. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

The liquid antacid Novaluzid (10 ml seven times daily) was compared with ranitidine (150 mg twice daily) and with placebo in 57 patients with symptoms and endoscopic signs of oesophagitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux. A randomized three-period change-over design with the double-dummy technique was used. Each treatment period lasted 6 weeks. Only 37 patients (64.9%) completed the entire trial. In retrospect, five patients receiving placebo were withdrawn because of insufficient effect, six patients because of side effects while taking Novaluzid and two while taking ranitidine. The remaining seven dropouts/withdrawals were for reasons without evident relationship to the treatment given. Statistical analyses based both on the 37 completers and on the 43 patients who had at least two treatment periods showed that ranitidine and Novaluzid were superior to placebo with regard to pain score (p less than 0.005) but not with regard to regurgitation, dysphagia, histology, and appearance on endoscopy (p greater than 0.05). It was impossible to distinguish statistically between ranitidine and Novaluzid. In conclusion, ranitidine and high-dose antacids are of equal effectiveness in the short-term treatment of reflux oesophagitis, and both are superior to placebo with regard to symptomatic relief.