Weeks In Out-patients Research Articles

Causes and consequences of hand injury

Studies were carried out in Edinburgh to determine the nature, causes and economic consequences of hand injuries requiring more than one visit to hospital. Information on 236 out-patients was collected during a period of six weeks and on 122 in-patients during a period of six months. In both studies, follow-up was by postal questionnaire six weeks after injury. More serious injuries requiring admission to hospital occurred at home (39%) than at work (27%), and of injuries treated on an out-patient basis, the highest proportion (30%) happened at sport. As a result, demands on hospital services were highest in the later part of the day and evening. The main causes of injury were falls at home, at work, in the street or through violence, and only a few were caused by industrial machinery. Two-thirds of the patients were employed, and the mean time off work was three weeks for out-patients and seven weeks for in-patients. Although Edinburgh may not be typical of other cities in the United Kingdom, the studies suggest that even so-called 'trivial' hand injuries make considerable demands on hospital services, with related costs to the individual, the employer and the nation.

Dependence on Benzodiazepines

Bupropion, a specific dopamine reuptake inhibitor, was compared to amitriptyline in two multicenter studies involving 183 depressed outpatients and inpatients. Initial results from these ongoing studies provide additional evidence of the antidepressant activity of bupropion. At the end of the treatment periods (6 weeks for inpatients and 13 weeks for outpatients), bupropion appeared to be at least as effective as amitriptyline. However, bupropion exerted a slightly but nonsignificantly smaller overall therapeutic effect than amitriptyline during the first 4 weeks of drug treatment. Slight weight loss and dopaminergic side effects, such as insomnia, nausea/vomiting, and anorexia, were somewhat more common among bupropion-treated patients. Compared to bupropion, amitriptyline induced more weight gain and had more anticholinergic, antihistaminic, and antiadrenergic side effects. In view of its numerous sites of action, amitriptyline does not appear to be the ideal antidepressant. It remains to be demonstrated whether bupropion has any advantage over secondary amine tricyclic antidepressants, such as nortriptyline and desipramine.