Absorption of effervescent paracetamol tablets relative to ordinary paracetamol tablets in healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the rate of absorption between ordinary paracetamol tablets and effervescent paracetamol tablets. METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers participated in an open randomised crossover study and were given a 1000-mg dose of either ordinary paracetamol tablets (2 x 500 mg Panodil tablets, SmithKline Beecham) or effervescent paracetamol tablets (2 x 500 mg Pinex Brusetablett, Alpharma AS) with a 3-week washout period in between. Blood samples were collected for 3 h. Maximum serum concentration (Cmax) and the time to maximum serum concentration (tmax) were recorded and the area under the concentration versus time curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS: The mean tmax was significantly shorter when paracetamol effervescent tablets were taken (27 min) rather than ordinary paracetamol tablets (45 min) (P = 0.004). There was no significant difference between the mean Cmax of 143 micromol/l with effervescent tablets and that of 131 micromol/l with ordinary tablets. The mean AUC(0-3 h) was significantly higher with paracetamol effervescent tablets (223.8 micromol x h x l(-1)) than with ordinary tablets (198.2 micromol x h x l(-1); P = 0.003). After 15 min, 17 (85%) subjects in the effervescent group had a serum concentration of 70 micromol/l (lower therapeutic serum concentration) or higher relative to only 2 (10%) subjects in the ordinary tablet group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Paracetamol effervescent tablets are absorbed significantly faster than ordinary paracetamol. Thus, effervescent tablets might offer significantly faster pain relief when paracetamol is used.

The effect of pancreatectomy and gastroenterectomy on the release of somatostatin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in experimental fecal peritonitis.

Rats were subjected to laparotomy, to pancreatectomy, to gastroenterectomy (control groups), or to these procedures plus a septic challenge by instillation of 0.1 ml feces intraperitoneally (experimental groups). In the laparotomized controls plasma somatostatin values were significantly higher in samples from the portal vein than from the upper inferior caval vein. After both pancreatectomy and gastroenterectomy a significant fall in plasma somatostatin values was observed, and there was no significant difference between samples taken from the portal vein and the systemic circulation. An intraperitoneal septic challenge elicited a significant rise in portal plasma somatostatin in laparotomized rats, whereas this increase did not occur in pancreatectomized and gastroenterectomized animals, supporting the notion that plasma somatostatin originates from the pancreas and/or the gastrointestinal tract during septic peritonitis. No differences were detected in plasma vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) values in animals from the three control groups. However, both in laparotomized and in pancreatectomized septic animals a significant rise in plasma VIP was demonstrated in samples from the portal vein. By contrast, no such increase was observed in gastroenterectomized septic rats. Thus, the gastrointestinal tract seems to be the major source of circulating VIP during fecal peritonitis in the rat.

Compartment syndrome with muscle necrosis following repair of hernia of tibialis anterior. Case report.

Repair of a hernia of m. tibialis anterior was followed by acute compartment syndrome with complete muscular necrosis. If surgical treatment of a muscle hernia is found to be justified, it should consist of fasciotomy and not closure of the fascial defect.