[Parental representations of children's cough and expectations on its management]. / Représentation parentale de la toux du nourrisson et attentes sur sa prise en charge.

BACKGROUND: Providing medications for the management of acute cough in infants less than 24 months, a frequent reason for medical consultation, has recently been reduced by the contraindication of various antitussive specialties in France. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the expectations and fears of coughing infants' parents, to determine their representations of coughing, and to quantify the use of self-medication and the risk of a deferral requests to prescribe other drug classes. METHODS: An opinion and cross-survey was carried out with parents of infants under 24 months of age. A multiple-choice questionnaire was proposed to them in day care centers and Mother and Infant Welfare centers. The data collected were analyzed descriptively and using the Chi(2) test. Logistic regression enabled us to interpret some of the results. RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of parents expect an antitussive treatment from the doctor. For most parents, lifestyle modifications are well integrated (nasal irrigation, considered effective cough relief, hydration, smoking cessation). For 33 % of parents, corticosteroids are an alternative therapy to stop cough. Nearly half (43 %) of parents have sought treatment from their doctor, usually nasal suspensions, corticosteroids, and saline irrigation. Regarding self-medication, 30 % of parents have already given cough syrup or an antitussive suppository without a prescription, in order to stop the cough rapidly for 66 % of them. These parents seem more worried by coughing than other parents (P=0.0110, CI: 0.217; 1.751) as did those who had only one child (P=0.0029, CI: 0.120; 0.582). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that a large majority of parents understand and accept the new recommendations. But one-third of parents are still worried, not knowing what to do without prescribed medications, which led them to give nonprescription cough syrups and ask for inappropriate treatments. It seems essential to inform parents about the natural history of infant coughing and educate them on lifestyle rules to reduce the risk of deferral prescription.

[Blood pressure control by antihypertensive agents in people older than 60]. / Contrôle de la pression artérielle par le traitement antihypertenseur chez le sujet âgé de 60 ans et plus.

PURPOSE: The prevalence or hypertension increases with aging, reaching more than 50% in people aged 60 years and older. The increase of systolic blood pressure is a major risk of cardiovascular event. METHODS: With the aim of assessing risk factors in old people "in apparent good health", we analysed blood pressure and treatments in people aged 60 years and older who had a periodic check-up that was adapted to older people. RESULTS: This check-up concerned, between April and December 2003, 1638 people with a mean age of 68 years (SD 5.7): 815 men and 823 women. Fourty percent had a systolic blood pressure (SBP) >or=140 mmHg (44% of men, 36% of women); 6% (8% of men, 4% of women) had a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >or=90 mmHg. A treatment for hypertension was followed by 473 people: 31% of men and 26% of women. Fifty percent were controlled for the SBP and the DBP. Fourty-two percent were not controlled for the SBP, but were controlled for the DBP. Seven percent were not controlled for the SBP nor the DBP. Only 3 subjects (<1%) were not controlled for the DBP, whereas they were controlled for SBP. CONCLUSION: These results, combined with data of literature on the predominant role of SBP in cardio-vascular risk, as compared with DBP, underline the need for a better treatment of systolic hypertension in older people.

[Screening for iron deficiency in menstruating women: an audit in general medical practice]. / Dépistage de la carence martiale chez la femme réglée: un audit en médecine générale.

To evaluate their own performance in the screening for iron deficiency in menstruating woman, 58 general practitioners have searched in their case-histories the results of serum ferritin or serum iron associated to transferrin saturation dating from less than five years. That observation has been repeated two years later by 25 of them. The progression of the screening among the general practitioners who accepted to realize this audit was clear: from 45.1% to 59.1% women screened on the total of menstruating women aged over 18 and regularly consulting in consultations. The GP's participation in Lorraine remained low (2.7%), in spite of the choice of a frequent medical disorder, a simple procedure and a large diffusion.