COMPETENCE OF THE STUDENTS FROM THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF VARNA FOR PRESCRIBING A RATIONAL PHARMACOTHERAPY

The skills of the students from the iMedical University of Varna for choosing and prescribing of a rational pharmacotherapy were tested. This took place within the framework of a comparative study of the competence in the therapeutic skills of final year medical students from 19 Universities of 10 European countries. From the Bulgarian Medical Universities those of Varna and Sofia were included in the study. The number of students who took part in the study was 1234, from which 37 were from Varna and 109 -from Sofia. Within 30 minutes the students had to determine a non-medical and/or medical treatment (prescription) for four written patient cases. Four diseases from the general practice were included (essential hypertension, acute bronchitis, gastroenteritis and osteo-arthritis). They were presented by four patient cases with an increasing degree of complexity. The skills were scored according to the 5 World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing indicators of therapeutic competence: 1) the number of drugs per prescription; 2) the number of generic names; 3) the number of non-antibiotics; 4) the number of non-drug treatments; 5) the number of completeness of the prescriptions. The scores of the test forms were descriptively analyzed. The skills of the Varna students are similar to the average European students' skills: indicator (1) -1.4 drugs for Europe and 1.8 - for Varna; indicator (2) - 73.7% and 80.8%, respectively; indicator (3) - 82.7% and 80.5%; indicator (4) -16.1 and 6.6; indicator (5) - 64% and 78.1 %. There is not a significant difference in the competence of Varna and Sofia students. The students from the University of Varna use more often generic names in comparison with the students from the University of Sofia (80.8% vs. 73.2%) and more often prefer the non-drug treatment (6.6% vs. 5.2%). This similarity might be due to the problem-based teaching that is carried out in both departments

BLOOD HISTAMINE LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISORDERS

Blood histamine levels (BHL) in patients with malignant lymphomas - Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) as well as with chronic lymphocytic leukenia (CLL) were studied in the active phase of the diseases and during remission after treatment. BHL were significantly decreased by 2,5-fold in HD patients in the active phase as compared to the controls. After treatment and during remission BHL normalized. It was found out that according to the calculated correlation R and determination (D) coefficients of BHL with the obligatory indices for biological activity in HD (ESR, fibrinogen, serum iron, al-protein fraction), the most informative criterion for the active phase was ESR (R=0,99, D=98 %)followedbyBHL(R=-0,89, D=79%), andBHLduring remission (R=0,87, D=75 %). In NHL patients, no significant differences in BHL in comparison to clinically healthy persons were established independently of the process activity and grade of malignancy. In patients with CLL, however, BHL were statistically significantly (p < 0,01) elevated by 45,8 % during the active stage compared with the control group. A significant correlation was found between the BHL and leukocyte counts in the active phase of the disease (rs = 0,71, p < 0,001). BHL normalized during remission. Therefore, BHL can be used as an additional criterion for the evaluation of the biological activity and remission in HD patients

BLOOD HISTAMINE LEVELS AS A POSSIBLE CLINICOPHARMACOLOGICAL CRITERION IN CERTAIN BLOOD DISEASES

The possible significance of blood histamine levels for diagnosing and treatment evaluation in patients with blood disorders such as malignant lymphomas - Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL), and Schonlein-Henoch purpura (SHP) was studied. Histamine was established spectrofluorimetrically in the active phase of the disease as well as during remission after treatment. Blood levels of histamine were significantly decreased about 2,5-fold in patients with HD in the active phase as compared to healthy controls (0,030 ± 0,002 μg/ml versus 0,073 ± 0,002 μg/ml) and by 31,5 % in patients with active SHP (0,050 ± 0,004 pig/ml versus 0,073 ± 0,002 μg/ml). After treatment and during remission the histamine levels recovered to normal. Such a correlation between blood levels of histamine, on the one hand, and process activity and treatment efficiency, on the other, was not observed for NHL. These results indicated that blood levels of histamine could serve as an additional criterion for the process activity evaluation and for the therapeutic effectiveness in patients with HD or SHP but not NHL. Furthermore, blood histamine levels might be considered as a possible clinicopharmacological criterion for the evaluation of new drugs anticipated for the treatment of HD or SHP

ESSENTIAL DRUGS AND THEIR ROLE IN THE HOSPITAL DRUG CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED REGIONAL CLINICAL HOSPITAL-VARNA IN 1997

The consumption of the drugs included in the Model List of Essential Drugs (ED) of WHO was studied in the United Regional Clinical Hospital of Varna for the first time. The purpose of the study was to estimate the consumption of these drugs in the hospital as a whole as well as in every hospital division. The monthly variations of the consumption were analyzed according to the specific activity of these divisions. The mean ED consumption by the patients in all the divisions was calculated. Those of them with the highest frequency of ED usage recommended in the Model List were presented. Certain conclusions about the benefit of the introduction of this Model List of ED and its importance for some hospital pharmaco-economic factors were drawn

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF MONO-AND DITHIOL ANTIDOTES UPON RENAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES AND UREA LEVEL IN ACUTE MERCURY INTOXICATION

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BLOOD HISTAMINE LEVEL AND SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN HODGKIN'S DISEASE

No abstrac

INVESTIGATION OF NOOTROPIC DRUGS (PYRAMEM AND OROCETAM) FOR THEIR TERATOGENIC EFFECT

The teratogenic effect of the nootropic drugs Pyramem and Orocetam on the skeleton and internal organs of rats was investigated. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated orally by 200 mg/kg b. m. Pyramem and 200 mg/kg b. m. Orocetam during the period of organogenesis since the 7th until 15th day of pregnancy. The effect of these preparations on the fetuses in terms of malformations, skeletal fragility and abnormalities in the internal organs (lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys) close to delivery (day 20-21) was analyzed. The nootropics Orocetam and Pyramem failed to prove to be embryotoxic agents at all

EFFECT OF THE CALCIUM CHANNEL BLOCKERS CINNARIZINE AND FLUNARIZINE ON GUT PASSAGE IN RATS

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INFLUENCE OF UNITHIOL UPON THE PROGRESS OF RENAL REGENERATIVE PROCESS OF SUBCHRONICAL MERCURY INTOXICATION

No abstrac

ON THE PROBLEM OF TIMELY AND PRECISE DIAGNOSTICS OF LYMPHOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASES

No abstrac