The epidemiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Austria is almost unknown. We evaluated the prevalence of MS in Austria using data from questionnaires completed by neurologists, comprising information on a total of 1,006 MS patients who attended 30 out-patient specialized clinics nationwide. Additional data were collected from 2,414 MS patients, who received questionnaires from the Austrian MS Society or their doctor. A novel extrapolation model, based on frequencies of patients visits at MS clinics, was used to estimate the overall prevalence of MS. Considering either disability or the course of the disease, the prevalence of MS patients in Austria was estimated to be 98.5 per 100,000 people. The prevalence of MS in Austria was found to be similar to that of other countries in Central Europe. Epidemiological studies, such as this, provide a unique source of data from which key features of a disease and its impact on patients may be examined.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Reliability of antiarrhythmic drug plasma concentration monitoring.

Measurement of drug levels is becoming increasingly popular to optimise the dosage of various drugs. In the case of antiarrhythmic drugs, the narrow therapeutic margin of most of these agents and a direct relationship between their pharmacological effects and plasma concentrations would justify more widespread use of monitoring. Optimum plasma concentration ranges have been described for lignocaine (lidocaine), procainamide, quinidine and, more recently, also for disopyramide, mexiletine, tocainide and other new antiarrhythmics. A critical analysis of the original data shows, however, that therapeutic and toxic levels are not so well defined as often assumed: small numbers of patients, marked interindividual variability, sometimes inadequate documentation of arrhythmias and lack of standardised blood sampling characterise many of these studies. Uncertainty about the reliability of concentration-effect relationships also arises when active drug metabolites are identified or there are marked concentration-dependent changes of drug protein-binding. In addition, abolition of various types of arrhythmias might require different drug concentrations. Nevertheless, therapeutic monitoring can be of practical value in patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and can also greatly facilitate dosage adjustment in cases with renal hepatic or severe cardiac failure. For a correct interpretation of drug levels, the time of blood sampling, dosage regimen, duration of treatment, pharmacokinetic principles, and the clinical condition of the patient must be taken into account. Further studies are needed to define the optimum therapeutic range for several drugs and to evaluate the usefulness of plasma concentration measurements in routine antiarrhythmic treatment.

Amiodarone↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Serum sialyltransferase follow up control of malignant diseases].

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Adult↗