Journal of General Practice

Today when we want information we search the Internet, but is that always the best option? This article discusses Pharmaceutical Medical Information Services available to Healthcare Professionals as a reliable, accurate, evidence-based alternative for information. Provision of these services is required by regulators and they answer specific questions with applicable publicly available information as well as unpublished f available in the public domain. These services offer a convenient alternative to the internet, and provide timely information in a range of formats through traditional as well as digital media. This service is continually evolving to meet the changing needs of customers utilising available technologies. An example of this is a single gateway now available with contact details and links to Medical Information services from different pharmaceutical companies across Europe.

Typhoid fever is not uncommon in developing countries or travellers returning from tropical destinations. Once patient is diagnosed with typhoid fever, the treatment should be prompt with effective and appropriate antibiotics regime; otherwise there is an increase risk of various complications. We report a case of a young patient diagnosed with typhoid fever and Multi Drug Resistance (XDR) Salmonella typhi infection.

Aim: Progress documentation of the intravenous substitution in women with symptomatic iron deficiency with and without anaemia: Changes in symptoms and ferritin and haemoglobin levels, adverse drug reactions.

Design: A multicentre observational study using two different preparations (iron sucrose versus ferric carboxymaltose).

Study centres: 27 medical practices in Switzerland.

Participants: 2288 patients gave individually-dosed intravenous iron doses, 82% of them of menstrual age.

Examined parameters: Change in symptoms and laboratory values 2-3 weeks following intravenous iron treatment and three months later.

Results: All participants completed the treatment. In 82% of the patients the initial ferritin level was <50 ng/ml and in 18%, it was between 51-75 ng/ml (average value 31 ng/ml). Anaemia was present in 13% of those affected. 65% of the participants felt symptom-free or significantly better, following treatment with an average ferritin level of 217 ng/ml, 20% benefited slightly and 15% did not feel any effects. After a follow-up assessment of a part of the patients three months later, the success rate was practically unchanged, although the ferritin level in women of menstrual age had retreated to 142 ng/ml. The side effect rate was 2.1%.

Conclusion: Patients with symptoms, such as e.g. states of exhaustion, concentration disorders, depressive moods, insomnia, dizziness or headaches and a ferritin level below 75 ng/ml benefit the most from individually-dosed intravenous iron doses.