[Improved information on drugs to patients. A project with a pharmacist in the therapeutic team at a cardiology department]. / Forbedret legemiddelinformasjon til pasienter. Et prosjekt med farmasøyt som deltaker i det terapeutiske team i en hjertemedisinsk sykepost.

Patients with cardiac disease knew more about medicaments after receiving medicament-related counselling by a pharmacist on discharge from hospital. This was demonstrated by a questionnaire answered by 49 patients whose answers were compared with the results of a study conducted in 1991, when patients did not receive information from a pharmacist in hospital. More patients were pleased with the information, and most of them were satisfied with the consultation with the pharmacist. Lack of time was stated to be the main reason why other hospital health care professionals often provided insufficient information on medicaments to patients. It was discovered that physicians did not record a proper history of the medication. This affected management of the therapy and the information given to patients. This investigation shows that a pharmacist can make an important contribution to the care of patients. Health care professionals should begin to discuss with the health authorities how best to organize the information patients receive on medicaments.

[Do patients know enough about their medication? A questionnaire among cardiac patients discharged from 5 Norwegian hospitals]. / Vet pasienter nok om sine medisiner? En spørreundersøkelse foretatt ved fem norske sykehus blant pasienter utskrevet med hjertemedisin.

Information to patients on drugs is varied and often inadequate. This was demonstrated by a questionnaire answered by 173 patients after discharge from five Norwegian hospitals. The effects/indications were known by the patients for 66% of the drugs. The daily dosage and dosage regimen were also known for more than 90% of the drugs, but possible side effects were unknown for more than 80% of the drugs. Knowledge of important interactions was low. 40% of the patients reported that the time alloted for information on drugs was insufficient, and 25% had many unanswered questions concerning drugs after discharge. This investigation shows that either the information on drugs from health care professionals to patients is insufficient, or that patients are incapable of absorbing and understanding the information provided. Hospitals should improve their drug related counselling service to patients at discharge.

Assay of kallikrein inhibitors and levels of acetone-activated kallikrein in plasma specimens from reactors to dextran or to contrast media.

The average level of kallikrein assayed as acetone-activated plasminogen activator (PGA) in plasma specimens from 10 reactors to clinical dextran or to radiographic contrast media did not differ from the level in 16 controls. This result was obtained in plasminogen-free citrated plasma stabilized with benzamidine. In the absence of benzamidine a significant reduction of PGA activity was registered in the reactor plasma, but not of activity against the tripeptide substrate S-2302 or the ester substrate BAEe. After storage of the plasma specimens for 12 to 18 months at -70 degrees, the PGA activity obtainable in reactor plasma had increased to the level registered in control plasma. Known inhibitors of plasma kallikrein and of histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) were assayed by radial immunodiffusion. The levels of alpha 2-macroglobulin, antithrombin-III and HRG were within the normal range in plasma from reactors, the level of C1-esterase inhibitor was slightly increased (116%), and the level of alpha 1-antitrypsin was higher than normal (124%). Evidence is provided that the loss of PGA activity taking place during acetone activation of fresh reactor plasma could not be due to a transition of native alpha-kallikrein to 3-chain beta-kallikrein. It is concluded that a plasma constituent unstable during storage is responsible for the selective and partial loss of PGA activity registered in reactor plasma.