[Pharmaceutical and pharmacological evaluation of Burow's solution (aluminum acetate solution), hospital preparation, and development of its rapid preparation method].

Burow's solution, or aluminum acetate solution, is effective in inhibiting various microorganisms including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are commonly observed in chronic suppurative otitis media. It takes several days to prepare Burow's solution using aluminum sulfate, and the pharmaceutical properties of the solution are not fully understood. In this study, the effect of storage (5 months) of Burow's solution prepared according to the Teine-Keijin Hospital manual on its pharmaceutical properties and antibacterial activities was examined. We also attempted to develop a rapid preparation method of aluminum acetate (or 1.7% aluminum) solution using two commercially available compounds of aluminum acetate basic (Al(2)O(CH(3)CO(2))(4), Al(OH)(CH(3)CO(2))(2)). The properties of Burow's solution, pH, osmolarity and antibacterial activity, were the same among different preparations and its storage for 5 months at 4 degrees C had no effect on these properties. The antibacterial potency of Burow's solution was dependent on aluminum concentration and its antibacterial potency against S. aureus and several MRSA strains was of the same magnitude. In a rapid preparation, aluminum acetate basic was mixed with appropriate amounts of tartaric acid and acetic acid, and the suspension was boiled for 2-2.5 hr until dissolved. The rapidly prepared aluminum acetate solution showed the same pharmaceutical properties and antibacterial activities as those of Burow's solution. The newly developed preparation method for aluminum acetate solution is expected to be convenient and feasible for hospital treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media.

[Investigation for clinical practice of pulmonary function tests in undergraduate medical education--results from the inquiries to 91 medical institutes with the Department of Laboratory Medicines in Japan].

Pulmonary function tests(PFTs), especially spirometry, play important roles in screening and diagnosing the patients with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is reported, however, that only 38% of the general physicians utilizes spirometry. Based on the assumption that clinical practices might be insufficient to learn PFTs in the undergraduate education periods, we made inquiries to 91 institutes with the departments of laboratory medicine in April 2003. The reply was from 67 institutes(73.6%). In 57 institutes(85.1%) they prepared a clinical practice curriculum for the students. The periods for the practice were 1 week in 38 institutes(56.7%) and 2 weeks in 10(17.5%). In 36 institutes(76.6%). In 47 institutes in which physiological examinations were included in the curriculum, PFTs were performed as one of the clinical practices. In all the institutes they employed either spirometry or flow-volume curve test. In 20 institutes(55.6%), approximately 2 hrs were assigned to the practice of PFTs. In 24 institutes (66.7%), the clinical technologists participated in educating the students. The main reasons why they did not employ PFTs in the practice were shortness of teaching staffs(7 institutes, 22.6%) or practicing time(4 institutes, 12.9%). These inquiries prevailed that practices of PFTs were performed mainly by lecture or by observation, since the practice time was insufficient to learn several kinds of PFTs. The Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine should immediately prepare and popularize a model core curriculum for the practice of PFTs.