ABSTRACT
The utilization of an outreach primary care health service provided by nurse practitioners to the migrant farm work population on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 1984 was examined by migrants' ethnicity, gender, and age. Seventy percent of a population of Black, Mexican American, and haitian workers and dependents were seen in 5,937 camp encounters. The population and first-encounter patient distributions were equivalent except for gender: relatively more males than females received service. First- and subsequent-encounter distributions were disproportional for ethnicity, gender, and age: subsequent service was provided more frequently to Blacks, females, and patients over 30 years of age. High penetration and subsequent rates were obtained for this comprehensive, readily accessible health service.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Nurse Practitioners/statistics & numerical data , Primary Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Rural Health , Transients and Migrants , Age Factors , Female , Humans , Male , Sex Factors , VirginiaABSTRACT
Two dosage schedules of amitriptyline hydrochloride, once daily vs three times daily, were compared in a group of 124 nonpsychotic depressed outpatients. After four weeks of treatment, patients on the once daily schedule had improved significantly more than patients receiving multiple doses on both physician and patient measures. The two groups did not differ in their attrition rates nor in reporting of side effects. Since treatment response to the tricyclic antidepressants is often delayed, once-daily dosage seems to offer a distinct advantage over more conventional multiple doses in depressed outpatients.
Subject(s)
Amitriptyline/administration & dosage , Depression/drug therapy , Adjustment Disorders/drug therapy , Adjustment Disorders/psychology , Adult , Amitriptyline/adverse effects , Depression/psychology , Drug Administration Schedule , Female , Humans , Male , Psychiatric Status Rating ScalesABSTRACT
The response of 134 anxious neurotic outpatients to lorazepam, diazepam, and placebo was assessed in a 4-week double-blind trial. Both active drugs produced significantly more symptom reduction than placebo. Lorazepam, however, proved effective primarily in those patients who did not complain of sedation, and produced greatest improvement in initially sicker patients. Sedation was significantly more disturbing to lorazepam-treated patients than to diazepam-treated patients. Present findings suggested that 3 mg/day of lorazepam may be too high a dosage for mildly anxious patients, while 15 mg/day of diazepam seems an appropriate dosage for mildly anxious patients but may be too low a dosage for highly anxious patients.
