Once daily versus three times daily mesalazine granules in active ulcerative colitis: a double-blind, double-dummy, randomised, non-inferiority trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the therapeutic equivalence and safety of once daily (OD) versus three times daily (TID) dosing of a total daily dose of 3 g Salofalk (mesalazine) granules in patients with active ulcerative colitis. DESIGN: A randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group, multicentre, international, phase III non-inferiority study. SETTING: 54 centres in 13 countries. PATIENTS: 380 patients with confirmed diagnosis of established or first attack of ulcerative colitis (clinical activity index (CAI)>4 and endoscopic index > or =4 at baseline) were randomised and treated. INTERVENTIONS: 8-week treatment with either 3 g OD or 1 g TID mesalazine granules. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical remission (CAI< or =4) at study end. RESULTS: 380 patients were evaluable for efficacy and safety by intention-to-treat (ITT); 345 for per protocol (PP) analysis. In the ITT population, 79.1% in the OD group (n = 191) and 75.7% in the TID group (n = 189) achieved clinical remission (p<0.0001 for non-inferiority). Significantly more patients with proctosigmoiditis achieved clinical remission in the OD group (86%; n = 97) versus the TID group (73%; n = 100; p = 0.0298). About 70% of patients in both treatment groups achieved endoscopic remission, and 35% in the OD group and 41% in the TID group achieved histological remission. About 80% of all patients preferred OD dosing. Similar numbers of adverse events occurred in 55 patients (28.8%) in the OD group and in 61 patients (32.3%) in the TID group, indicating that the two dosing regimens were equally safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: OD 3 g mesalazine granules are as effective and safe as a TID 1 g schedule. With respect to the best possible adherence of patients to the treatment, OD dosing of mesalazine should be the preferred application mode in active ulcerative colitis.

[Narcotization of dolphins without blocking their own respiration]. / Narkotizatsiia del'finov bez vykliucheniia sobstvennogo dykhaniia.

Narcotization procedure for porpoises is suggested without blocking their respiration. Premedication: atropine (1 mg per 50 kg, intravenously), Seduxen (5 mg per 100 kg, intravenously). Narcosis: sodium oxybutyrate (1 g per 50 kg, intravenously), Droperidol (12.5 mg per 100 kg, intravenously), Phentanyl (0.5 mg per 100 kg, intravenously).

[Surgical cryo-ultrasonic instrument]. / Khirurgicheskii krio-ul'trazvukovoi instrument

With the YPCK-7H unit, serving as a base, a cryo-ultrasonic instrument for a combined use of cryogenic and ultrasonic methods has been constructed. A pipe for the passage of liquid nitrogen is mounted on an ultrasonic waveguide, this securing the cooling of the soft tissue subjected to the operation down to--135--80degreesC and separation of the tissues with the frequency of ultrasonic oscillations within a range of 20 to 45 kHz. The surgical cryoultrasonic instrument is apt to significantly increase the efficacy of hemostasis and helps achieve a still better neatness of the cut, this obviously being due to the cryogenic factor which adds advantage to the ultrasonic operative intervention.