[Pharmacokinetics of low-dose lithium in healthy volunteers]. / Pharmacocinétique du lithium administré à doses faibles chez le volontaire sain.

The pharmacokinetics of lithium in healthy volunteers receiving low doses of lithium as Lithium Oligosol by sublingual route were investigated in two randomized crossover studies (lithium vs placebo) with a two week wash-out period. In the first study, 8 volunteers received a single dose (1.68 mg) of lithium and in the second 8 another volunteers received repetitive doses of lithium (0.56 mg twice a day) during 11 days. The plasma concentration of lithium was determined by an electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The plasma concentrations of lithium measured during the placebo period were about 1 microgram/L, the peak concentration was 99.4 +/- 22.2 micrograms/L in the single dose study and 49.6 +/- 5.4 micrograms/L in the multiple doses study. In this last one, the residual plasma levels of lithium were between 20 and 25 micrograms/L. The pharmacokinetics parameters measured were: T1/2 = 22.6 +/- 3.1 h; Vd/F = 0.70 +/- 0.09 L/kg and Cl/F = 1.53 +/- 0.12 L/h. The plasma concentrations of lithium are strictly dependent on intake from food or drugs.

An intelligent computer-assisted instruction system designed for rural health workers in developing countries.

This paper describes an intelligent computer-assisted instruction system that was designed for rural health workers in developing countries. This system, called Consult-EAO, includes an expert module and a coaching module. The expert module, which is derived from the knowledge-based decision support system Tropicaid, covers most of medical practice in developing countries. It allows for the creation of outpatient simulations without the help of a teacher. The student may practice his knowledge by solving problems with these simulations. The system gives some initial facts and controls the simulation during the session by guiding the student toward the most efficient decisions. All student answers are analyzed and, if necessary, criticized. The messages are adapted to the situation due to the pedagogical rules of the coaching module. This system runs on PC-compatible computer.