No description available.

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are known to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. However, only a small proportion are reported. An increase in the number and quality of reports by improving ADR reporting systems in hospitals, could improve patient outcomes and save healthcare costs. The first part of this project was to review the ADR reporting systems in Australian hospitals and to determine factors contributing to the ADR reporting rate. Data were collected by a postal, self-administered questionnaire. Questionnaires were sent to 299 chief pharmacists of Australian hospitals listed in the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) directory. The response rate was 49.5%. Seventy seven (60%) hospitals had a formal hospital policy for ADR reporting and 110 (85.3%) hospitals targeted all drugs to be reported. ADR reporting rates to ADRAC in 2000 (ADR reports per patient admission) were between zero and 1.09% (median=0.02%) with 7.1% of hospitals having a reporting rate of zero. A centralised ADR system and the existence of an ADR policy was not associated with higher reporting rates. The next part of the project was a survey of 803 Western Australian (WA) doctors and 1323 Australian hospital pharmacists to evaluate involvement in, understanding of and reasons for reporting ADRs. A postal, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was sent to doctors at two tertiary hospitals in Perth and three regional hospitals in WA. A similar questionnaire was sent to all hospital pharmacists listed in the membership list of SHPA, as well as non-SHPA members in WA. Response rates obtained for the WA doctors survey was 35% (n=277) and 43% (n=574) for hospital pharmacists. Sixty four percent of doctors and 96% of hospital pharmacists knew how to report ADRs within the hospital while 57% and 98% (respectively) knew how to report ADRs to ADRAC. / Factors that would encourage respondents to report ADRs included serious reactions, unusual reactions, reaction to a new product and confidence in the diagnosis of the ADR. More than 70% of respondents agreed that an uncertain association between the ADR and the suspected drug, minor reactions and well known reactions were factors that would deter them from reporting ADRs. From a list of 14 hypothetical ADR questions, it was found that respondents were more likely to report serious and uncommon reactions. Finally, the incidence of cross-sensitivity between penicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics among patients experiencing penicillin allergy in Fremantle Hospital and Health Services (FHHS) was assessed, along with the appropriate documentation of penicillin allergy in the medical records. The study was a retrospective audit and review of medical records in FHHS (1994-2000). All medical records of patients experiencing penicillin allergy during admission, or causing admission to FHHS, (n=85) were reviewed and data on reactions to other β-lactams were recorded. The incidence of definite cross-sensitivity between penicillins and cephalosporins was 6%, consistent with the reported rate of cross-sensitivity. The documentation of penicillin allergy in the medical records was less than optimal, with alerts on 89% of medication charts and only 28% of medical records (front cover). Improvement in the documentation of ADRs in patients' medical records would likely decrease the risk of preventable adverse events.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1956.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Queensland, 2006. / Includes bibliography.

M.Tech. / Cat allergy is the allergic reaction of a person’s body when exposed to allergens borne in the cat’s dander (shed skin cells), saliva or urine. The major cat allergen, called Fel d 1, is found in cat saliva, dander from sebaceous glands in the skin, fur and anal sebaceous glands. Symptoms of cat allergies may include sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, coughing and wheezing and in rare circumstances anaphylaxis occurs. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the homoeopathic complex Cat hair 9cH and Histaminum 9cH in treating the symptoms of cat allergy using the skin prick test and a symptom score card which rates the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms experienced. This was a four-week double blind, placebo-controlled study in which thirty participants, male and female between the ages of 18 and 45 were randomly divided into two groups. Advertisements was placed at the University of Johannesburg Doornfontein campus and at the Weleda pharmacy (Fourways). Potential participants that meet the inclusion criteria were requested to sign the Participant Information and Consent Form. This study had to form part of a group study related to cat allergy analysis. Participants were requested to report to Ampath laboratories to undergo a skin prick test to establish the presence of a cat allergy. Those participants that tested positive for cat allergies were to undergo an initial consultation involving a case history and a focused physical examination. Participants were given a score card each week to evaluate their severity, frequency and duration of their symptoms to be completed at the end of each week. Participants were given a 25ml bottle of either the homoeopathic complex of Cat hair 9cH and Histaminum 9cH or the placebo in tablet form, and each participant was instructed to take two tablets twice daily throughout the four week study. At the second consultation the physical exam was repeated and a second bottle of medication were given. At the end of week four, participants had to report to Ampath laboratories for the final skin prick test. This was to be followed by the third and final consultation, where the physical examination was done and all score cards collected. All data will be analysed using the Shapiro Wilk test, Mann-Whitney test, Friedman test and Wilcoxon test. With the aid of results from each participant the researcher arrived at the conclusion that the homoeopathic complex Histaminum 9cH and Cat Hair 9cH was effective on alleviating the symptoms of cat allergy.

M.Tech. (Homoeopathy) / Cat allergy is an Immunoglobulin E (IgE) response by the body in hypersensitive individuals, triggered by exposure to cat allergen, which can be found in cat saliva and cat dander. Cat allergy produces a number of symptoms which negatively influence daily living and may be exacerbated in hypersensitive individuals to halt daily functioning. Conventional treatment for cat allergy comprises of antihistamines, anti-inflammatories, leukotrine blockers and decongestants, which have many adverse effects, are not always effective and may lead to drug tolerance. To date, research has been conducted by Naidoo et al., (2011) on the efficacy of the homoeopathic complex of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH in treating the symptoms of cat allergy, which yielded positive and statistically significant results according to the skin prick test. The desensitising effect of this complex on blood IgE levels has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH in the desensitization of cat allergy, by use of cat specific RAST tests and a symptom score card. The complex of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH was prepared according to homoeopathic principles and prescribed according to isopathic principles. Thirty male and female participants between the ages of 18 and 45, who had a positive RAST test result for cat allergy, were selected for this four week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The RAST tests were performed at the beginning of the study (week 1) and at the end of the study (week 4). The participants were randomly divided into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received the homoeopathic complex of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH and the control group received the placebo. Participants were asked to take two tablets in the morning and two tablets at night sublingually for the duration of the study period. Each participant received a symptom score card which was to be completed at the end of each week. The symptom score card rated the severity, frequency and duration of their symptoms. The results were statistically analysed using, the Friedman-K Related Samples Test, the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test and the Mann-Whitney U Test. The results showed that the homoeopathic complex of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH did not improve the IgE levels or IgE grading in the treatment group. When looking at the symptoms, the treatment group had a statistically significant improvement in the severity, duration and frequency of the symptom “red itchy eyes”, as well as improved duration of the symptoms “runny itchy stuffy nose” and “sneezing”; while the control group was found to have a statistically significant improvement in the frequency of the symptom “red itchy eyes”, “scratchy throat”, as well as the duration of “red itchy eyes”. In conclusion it can be said that the homoeopathic complex of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH did not produce desensitization to cat allergen, thus leading to the rejection of the hypothesis and the acceptance of the null hypothesis.

Allergies have the potential to be a life-long debilitating fight, especially the severe reactions from allergies such as anaphylaxis. Peanut allergies tend to be both common and severe, and they happen to be found hiding in many food products. People can have allergic reactions to food products that were made in the same facility as peanut products, that is why it is so important to be aware of the products that are being consumed. The incidence of peanut allergies has increased in the last decade, which is why it is crucial to study these allergies. This thesis looks at when the best time is to introduce peanut products to young children and the common risk factors that are associated with peanut allergies in children. The risk factors that are being looked at include: genetics, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. This thesis also investigates a couple of treatment options for if your child develops a peanut allergy.

No description available.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of childhood asthma has been increasing worldwide. Modern societal exposures that have been implicated as possible causes of this increase include more hygienic lifestyles, antibiotic usage, and vitamin D deficiency. While there is much evidence that the origins of allergic disease begin in infancy, the uncertainty of asthma diagnosis in the first few years of life makes it difficult to assess the impact of early environmental exposures in very young children, and intermediate phenotypes that might assist in this assessment are lacking. An additional challenge to allergic disease research is the potential for gene-by-environment interactions, in which specific exposures differentially affect children depending on genotype. The objectives of this study were to assess relations of allergic disease outcomes (total IgE, specific IgE and asthma) with: 1) exposures related to modern lifestyle including day-care, antibiotic use and vitamin D levels; 2) cytokine profiles as a potential intermediate phenotypes; and 3) day-care exposure in the context of a relevant genotype.METHODS: This study utilizes data from a birth cohort. Allergic outcomes were assessed longitudinally through 5 years. Exposure data was collected by interview, or via blood samples in the case of vitamin D, cytokines, and genotype. Relations were assessed using longitudinal analysis techniques.RESULTS: Day-care was associated with decreased total and specific IgE through age 5. Antibiotics use was not associated with any outcome. Vitamin D levels showed 1) a U-shaped association with total and specific IgE, such that both high and low levels conveyed greater risk; and 2) no association with asthma. Cytokine profiles at 3 months of age, but not at birth, were predictive of total IgE and asthma. Finally, a significant gene-by-environment interaction was found between day-care and the TLR2/-16934 gene, such that the protective day-care relation occurred only for children carrying a T-allele.CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that childhood allergic disease is inversely associated with day-care exposure and has a U-shaped relation with 25(OH)D levels at birth. It demonstrates that cytokine profiles as early as 3 months predict allergic outcomes through age 5 years, and finally, provides an example of a gene-by-environment interaction.