Phenytoin (PHT) levels were determined in sections of head hair taken from 60 patients (34 males and 26 females), aged 5 to 69 years, who were regularly receiving the drug. The hair sectional analysis included dissolution, liquid phase extraction procedures, and immunoassay (Abbott TDx) or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical techniques. The values of PHT levels in the hair from the first section (close to the hair root) to the fifth section for female patients were 18.0, 15.2, 13.1, 11.6, and 10.7 microg/g, respectively, according to HPLC measurements. There were no significantly different results obtained using the immunoassay technique, according to which the mean values of PHT in the hair sections were 17.9, 15.2, 13.1, 11.9, and 10.9 microg/g, respectively, from the first to the fifth sections. The corresponding mean values for male patients by HPLC and immunoassay techniques, respectively, were 17.9, 15.0, 12.5, 12.1, and 12.3 microg/g and 17.8, 14.9, 12.2, 11.9, and 121 microg/g. Generally, a reduction of drug concentrations in hair from the first to the subsequent segments was observed. The hair PHT concentrations were found to be dependent on the dosage (by fluorescence polarization immunoassay: r = 0.987, p < or = 0.02; by HPLC: r = 0.988, p < or = 0.02). Mean dose and assay outcome values by hair color and correlation between hair PHT mean values, daily mean doses of the drug, and patients' age are presented. The differences among doses according to hair color were significant. PHT hair profiles from female and male patients compared with the mean +/- SD concentrations of the hair sections are discussed. The data indicate the possible use of hair section testing as a marker of the dosage history and the compliance of patients receiving long-term treatment with PHT.
The aim of this cross disciplinary study was to identify the most significant variables related to childhood accidental poisoning. The study was carried out on a representative sample of families living in the Greater Athens Area comprising 1245 children aged up to 5 years. Data were collected by a team of researchers (paediatricians, psychologists and social workers) and involved a structured interview and a paediatric examination. The findings show that childhood poisoning is correlated with: (1) biological variables, such as skeletal anomalies, language disorders, number of recent infections and complications of pregnancy; and (2) social factors, such as father's educational level, monthly family income, and overcrowding. Sex of the child was not found to influence poisoning.
R esearch has shown that socio-demographic profile and psychopathology symptoms are related to levels of happiness in old age. The aims of this cross-sectional study were: 1) to investigate the effect of recent stressful life events and socio-demographic factors on psychopathological symptoms in elderly residents in mountain regions of Crete, Greece and 2) to explore the mechanism which underlies the relationship between socio-demographic factors and psychopathological symptoms, with levels of happiness in old age. To this end, we used the nine psychopathology dimensions of symptoms as defined in the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90), while the Holmes and Rahe stress inventory was administered to quantify the stressful life events. A sample of 205 elderly men and women (age=77.1±6.7 years) living in 10 remote rural and isolated villages participated in this study. Data was collected through questionnaires completed upon individual meetings with each participant, with the interviewer's assistance. Each questionnaire included the two aforesaid scales alongside questions on individual socio-demographic characteristics. Analysis of variance was applied to detect socio-demographic factors that have a significant effect on specific psychopathological symptoms. Then, path analysis was applied to quantify the direct and indirect effect of the selected socio-demographic factors on happiness levels. Stressful life events were found to have no statistically significant effect on the presence of specific symptoms (somatization, psychoticism, anxiety) in elderly adults. Furthermore, certain socio-demographic factors (marital status, smoking, family income and social activity) were found to influence happiness, which varied according to the level of psycho-emotional tension. The results suggest that somatization, psychoticism, and phobic anxiety symptoms are psychic reactions independent of recent stressful life events. Our study,despite its regional character, may contribute in the develop
Carbamazepine (CBZ) concentrations were determined in the sections of head hair from 40 patients (22 males and 18 females), ages 5 to 81, who were receiving this drug systemically. Hair treatment included dissolution, liquid phase extraction procedures, and immunoassay (Abbott TDx) or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analytical techniques. The mean values of CBZ levels in the hair from the 1st section (close to hair root) to the 5th section for female patients were 26.82, 19.18, 17.28, 15.09, and 14.62 micrograms/g according to HPLC measurements. Immunoassay gave generally slightly higher results. The mean values of CBZ in the hair sections according to the immunoassay technique were 30.53, 21.90, 19.83, 17.45, and 16.99 micrograms/g, respectively, from the 1st to the 5th sections. The corresponding mean values for male patients by HPLC and immunoassay techniques were 21.97, 17.30, 15.03, 13.02, and 11.21 micrograms/g and 25.98, 20.52, 17.15, 14.87, and 12.31 micrograms/g. Generally, a reduction of drug concentrations in hair from the first to the subsequent segments was observed. Higher amounts of CBZ were deposited in black, untreated hair (e.g., not dyed or permed). CBZ concentrations in hair sections were found to be dependent on the dosage (r = 0.979, p < or = 0.001) but not on the gender. The data indicate the possible use of hair section testing as a marker of the dosage history and the compliance of patients under long-term treatment with CBZ.
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