Biomedical subjects

C Rusk

Publications and source records attributed to C Rusk.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1999

The dorzolamide/timolol combination versus timolol plus pilocarpine: patient preference and impact on daily life. United States Patient Preference Study Group. International Patient Preference Study Group.

PURPOSE: To compare the 2.0% dorzolamide/0.5% timolol fixed combination (COSOPT; Merck & Co., Whitehouse Station, NJ) to 0.5% timolol plus 2.0% pilocarpine given concomitantly, and to determine patient preference, tolerability, and impact on daily life in patients with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). METHODS: Two multi-center, randomized, cross-over, observer masked studies were conducted, one in the United States (97 patients) and one in Europe (93 patients). The Comparison of Ophthalmic Medications for Tolerability questionnaire was used to assess patient preference and perception of side effects and activity limitations resulting from study medications. Intraocular pressure was measured before and 2 hours after the morning dose of study medication (hour 0 and hour 2). RESULTS: In both studies, among patients with a preference, the combination was preterred to timolol plus pilocarpine by a ratio of 4 to 1. The most commonly cited reason for this preference was side effects. Patients in both studies also reported that the combination interfered significantly less with daily life in terms of side effects and activity limitations. They also reported missing significantly fewer doses of study medication while taking the combination and being significantly more satisfied with it. The efficacy of these two treatments was not significantly different, based on IOP measurements at hour 0 and 2 hours after administration. Patients reported significantly more adverse events while receiving timolol plus pilocarpine in both studies, and in the U.S. study, significantly more patients discontinued therapy while receiving timolol plus pilocarpine than while receiving the combination. CONCLUSION: Compared with timolol plus pilocarpine, patients preferred the combination of 2% dorzolamide/0.5% timolol, and reported less interference in daily activities, better tolerability, and better compliance with therapy.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1998

Rickets screening in the preterm infant.

Although rickets in the preterm infant has decreased with improvements in care and nutrition, there continue to be infants at high risk for this disease. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent fractures and other complications, such as decreased linear growth. Nurses must know which infants are at risk, must be aware of the appropriate screening tests, and must know how to customize care for at-risk neonates.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of 2% dorzolamide and 0.5% betaxolol in the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure. Dorzolamide Comparison Study Group.

A multicenter, parallel-design, randomized, double-masked study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of 2% dorzolamide with those of 0.5% betaxolol in the treatment of elevated intraocular pressure (i.o.p). A total of 311 adults with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma were randomly allocated to receive either 2% dorzolamide administered topically TID or 0.5% betaxolol administered topically BID plus placebo administered topically QD for 12 weeks. After the washout of previous ocular hypotensive drugs, patients with IOP > or = 23 mm Hg in at least one eye at 10 AM or 4 PM on study day 1 were randomly allocated to receive one of the study treatments. Throughout the study, IOP was measured 2 and 8 hours after instillation of study medication for the morning peak effect (hour 2) and afternoon trough effect (hour 8). After 12 weeks of therapy, the mean change in IOP was not significantly different between the dorzolamide and betaxolol treatment groups at hour 8 (-3.6 mm Hg in both groups) or hour 2 (-5.4 vs -5.3 mm Hg, respectively). The differences between treatments (and 95% CIs associated with these differences) in mean IOP changes from baseline were 0.02 mm Hg (-0.870 to 0.901) for hour 8 and -0.14 mm Hg (-0.959 to 0.685) for hour 2. The ocular adverse experience (AE) most frequently reported by patients was ocular burning and/or stinging, and the most frequently reported nonocular AEs were taste perversion, upper respiratory infection, and headache. Only the incidence of taste perversion was significantly different between treatment groups (14.6% for the dorzolamide group and 0.0% for the betaxolol group). Two percent of patients in each treatment group discontinued the study due to AEs. This study confirmed the similar IOP-lowering effect of 2% dorzolamide and 0.5% betaxolol. Both treatments were generally well tolerated, and their safety profiles were similar.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗