Implementation of physically active lessons: A 2-year follow-up.

Combining physical activity and academic content is a promising way to improve health and academic learning in schoolchildren. This paper examined the continuation of physically active lessons (PAL) in five Norwegian elementary schools, two years after a 10-month intervention period, which consisted of weekly minimum 2 x 45 min of PAL. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine teachers and five school leaders. The Level of Use instrument was used to assess how the teachers integrated PAL into the school day. Two years after the intervention period, seven of nine teachers conducted PAL regularly, on average one lesson per week. Teachers' implementation progress varied from struggling with logistics, to stable routine and creative adaption. Perceived benefits for the children, active leadership, and ongoing implementation support seem important for continuation. Introduction of PAL as a school development project, systematic planning from the onset and a gradual introduction of PAL, can be an effective strategy for continuation and long-term sustainability. In addition, the Level of Use instrument was useful to better understand which support mechanisms are needed at different stages in the implementation of PAL.

Quetiapine is not a sleeping pill. / Kvetiapin er ikke en sovemedisin.

Use of the antipsychotic drug quetiapine to treat sleep disorders has become widespread, also in Norway. Its efficacy is poorly documented, and even low doses may have substantial side effects. There is thus reason to warn against prescribing quetiapine for sleep.

[Ginkgo biloba--effect, adverse events and drug interaction]. / Ginkgo biloba--effekt, bivirkninger og interaksjoner.

Ginkgo is probably one of the most widely used medicinal herbs in Europe. In Norway products of ginkgo leaf extract have been approved by the Norwegian Medicines Agency for the following indication: traditionally used to improve blood circulation, for example, cold hands and feet. Elsewhere, ginkgo is used for cognitive impairment and dementia, acute ischaemic stroke, intermittent claudication, tinnitus and age-related macular degeneration. Evidence of the efficacy of ginkgo for these indications has previously been studied by the Cochrane Collaboration. In this update we have repeated all the searches in Medline and EMBASE exactly as described in the five Cochrane Systematic Reviews (last search date: 16.02.2011). We identified two new randomised and placebo-controlled studies on cognitive impairment and dementia (3187 patients) and one study on acute ischaemic stroke (3069 patients). The results of these studies gave no reason to change the conclusions of earlier reviews by the Cochrane Collaboration. There is no convincing evidence that ginkgo is effective for cognitive impairment or dementia, acute ischaemic stroke, intermittent claudication or tinnitus. There is still a lack of conclusive evidence for the effect on age-related macular degeneration. Ginkgo leaf extract appears to be safe to use, with no excess side effects compared with placebo. It can cause some minor side effects such as stomach upset, headache, dizziness, constipation, forceful heartbeat, and allergic skin reactions. There is some concern that ginkgo leaf extract might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding, and interactions with anticoagulants/antiplatelet drugs cannot be ruled out. As a general precaution, it is recommended withdrawing ginkgo two weeks before elective surgery.

A question-answer pair (QAP) database integrated with websites to answer complex questions submitted to the Regional Medicines Information and Pharmacovigilance Centres in Norway (RELIS): a descriptive study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess a question-answer pair (QAP) database integrated with websites developed for drug information centres to answer complex questions effectively. DESIGN: Descriptive study with comparison of two subsequent 6-year periods (1995-2000 and 2001-2006). SETTING: The Regional Medicines Information and Pharmacovigilance Centres in Norway (RELIS). PARTICIPANTS: A randomised sample of QAPs from the RELIS database. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Answer time in days compared with Mann-Whitney U test. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Number of drugs involved (one, two, three or more), complexity (judgemental and/or patient-related or not) and literature search (none, simple or advanced) compared with χ(2) tests. RESULTS: 842 QAPs (312 from 1995 to 2000 and 530 from 2001 to 2006) were compared. The fraction of judgemental and patient-related questions increased (66%-75% and 54%-72%, respectively, p<0.01). Number of drugs and literature search (>50% advanced) was similar in the two periods, but the fraction of answers referring to the RELIS database increased (13%-31%, p<0.01). Median answer time was reduced from 2 days to 1 (p<0.01), although the fraction of complex questions increased from the first to the second period. Furthermore, the mean number of questions per employee per year increased from 66 to 89 from the first to the second period. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that RELIS has a potential to efficiently answer complex questions. The model is of relevance for organisation of drug information centres.