Media Drug Research Articles

Laser Non-Contact Drug Delivery Methods: Mathematical and Experimental Substantiation.

This article outlines the existing methods for parenteral drug delivery. It also presents novel alternative methods based on laser technologies, namely laser impregnation and laser injection. A mathematical model is constructed to calculate laser impregnator's technical parameters, such as the energy density of laser radiation, pulse duration, and pulse repetition frequency. This model also makes it possible to estimate the increase in the diffusion rate of drug preparations when they are impregnated through multilayer structures, such as the skin. Moreover, this article presents experimental results on Er.YAG laser injection of various drug media, such as spirit solutions, aqueous solutions, and ointments. These preparations were injected into gelatinous gel and autopsy skin samples. Possible clinical application is considered for these laser transcutaneous drug delivery methods.

Patterns in acute otitis media drug prescriptions: a survey of Italian pediatricians and otolaryngologists

Objective: To evaluate whether physicians follow current guidelines for managing acute otitis media (AOM) and whether educational programs are needed to improve knowledge of AOM treatment among paediatricians (PEDs) and otolaryngologists (ENTs) Methods: A total of 1270 PEDs and 852 ENTs were randomly selected and interviewed with an anonymous questionnaire about how they managed AOM. Results: Inappropriate AOM approaches were identified among 60.2% of PEDs and 88.5% of ENTs (p < 0.001). Amoxicillin and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid were appropriately chosen as first-line drugs by the majority of PEDs and ENTs, although significantly more ENTs reported otherwise (15.8% PEDs vs 25.5% ENTs; p < 0.001). ENTs were significantly more likely than PEDs to report prescribing decongestants, mucolytics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroids (p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results show that AOM prescriptions for antibiotics and adjunctive treatments are often inappropriate and highlight the need for educational strategies aimed at PEDs and ENTs to improve their compliance with evidence-based guidelines for AOM treatment.

Combined drug medium with isoniazid and rifampicin for identification of multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

A low-cost method of detecting multi-drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with the possibility of quick adoption in a resource limited setting is urgently required. We conducted a study combining isoniazid and rifampicin in a single LJ medium, to detect MDR-TB strains. Combined and individual drug media showed 100% concordance for the detection of MDR-TB and susceptible strains by proportion method. Considering the results, combined isoniazid and rifampicin containing medium could be considered for use in settings where the sole detection of MDR-TB strains is justified.

Drugs and Symbolic Pollution: The Work of Cultural Logic in the Russian Press

This article is devoted to analysis of the ‘media drug wave’ that occurred in Russia at the end of the 1990s. Following a general description of the coverage of the drug problem by the Russian press, the article sets out to explore some reasons that may help to explain the extremely negative attitude of the media and the overwhelming majority of the Russian population to drugs and drug users. Drawing on the cultural theory of risk, it is argued that such an attitude cannot be explained in rational terms of the negative consequences for the health and security of members of society; rather, drugs and drug users are perceived to be symbolic polluters of society. Cultural codes of purity and pollution can help clarify several key themes that inform political and public debates around drugs in Russia. The social context (rise of ‘Russian neomoralism’) in which the drug problem was constructed is outlined.

Transport properties of ionic drugs in the ammonio methacrylate copolymer membranes.

Ammonio methacrylate copolymer is a pharmaceutical excipient widely used as a coating material for encapsulation of pellet and tablet dosage forms. Because of the charged ammonio function groups within the polymer, ionic drugs may interact with the coating film while transporting through it. The kinetic swelling and drug permeation properties of the ammonio methacrylate copolymer membranes were studied to delineate the effect of ionic interaction between the ionic drugs and the membranes. The pH and ionic strength of the solutions and the charged properties of drugs were varied to study the effects on the transport properties through the membranes. Ambroxol was chosen as a model cationic drug and aspirin as a model anionic drug. The degree of membrane swelling in the drug-free solution decreases as the ionic strength increases but it is irrelevant to the pH. With the presence of ionic drugs, the degree of membrane swelling is affected by the drug species as well as the pH of the solutions in addition to the effect of ionic strength. The degree of swelling for a membrane in a solution containing aspirin is higher at a lower pH and ambroxol is lower at a lower pH. Aspirin experiences a three-stage permeation and ambroxol a two-stage one. The ion-exchange reaction between the anionic carboxylic groups in aspirin and the cationic ammonio groups in the membranes results in a slow permeation stage during the transient state. The pseudo steady-state permeability for each drug follows the trend as the degree of membrane swelling in the drug media at various pH and ionic strengths. However, it is much higher for aspirin than ambroxol although the degree of membrane swelling is higher in an ambroxol solution than that in an aspirin solution. The permeability of ambroxol through the membrane is largely reduced because of the Donnan exclusion effect. The interaction between ionic drugs with the cationic groups in the membranes affects the ionic strength of the solutions and results in a pH-dependent degree of swelling. The ionic interaction also determines the drug permeation rates as well as the transient permeation behaviors.

Laser Non-contact Drug Delivery Methods: Mathematical and Experimental Substantiation

This article outlines the existing methods for parenteral drug delivery. It also presents novel alternative methods based on laser technologies, namely laser impregnation and laser injection. A mathematical model is constructed to calculate laser impregnator's technical parameters, such as the energy density of laser radiation, pulse duration, and pulse repetition frequency. This model also makes it possible to estimate the increase in the diffusion rate of drug preparations when they are impregnated through multilayer structures, such as the skin. Moreover, this article presents experimental results on Er:YAG laser injection of various drug media, such as spirit solutions, aqueous solutions, and ointments. These preparations were injected into gelatinous gel and autopsy skin samples. Possible clinical application is considered for these laser transcutaneous drug delivery methods.

Adolescent Fear of Contracting AIDS

Abstract Students (n = 2119) in grades 4 through 12 were administered a student survey in 1994 designed to solicit opinions about a media drug campaign. Responses to items regardinggender, grade level, and ethnicity were analyzed with respect to their perceived fear about contracting AIDS. Cross tabulations revealed significant relationships between all independent variables and fear of contracting AIDS. Additionally, significant relationships between genders were noted while controlling for grade level and ethnicity, and between ethnicities and grade level when controlling for gender. Possible implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research are presented.

Unsolved problems with mass media drug eoducation campaigns: three cautionary tales

Unsolved problems with mass media drug eoducation campaigns: three cautionary tales