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The use of strong analgesics was continuously registered in 90 patients throughout 12 months via the public health authorities, who are responsible for the control of prescription of strong analgesics. After the 12 months, questionnaires were sent to the prescribing doctors about the treatment during that period. Twenty-five patients were excluded mainly due to incomplete data and non-responding GPs. Analysis of validity of the GPs' registration, with the public health authorities' registration used as the reference standard, showed 90% (95% confidence limits (CL):68-99%) agreement concerning continuing treatment with strong analgesics and 98% (CL:88-100%) regarding GPs' registration of patients not being treated with strong analgesics. In all, misclassification occurred in 5% (CL:1-13%) of the patients. Our study suggests that the GPs' information about prescriptions of strong analgesics is valid, and that it can be used in research.

Methods: Efficacy and safety of the topically acting glucocorticosteroid budesonide retention enema (2.3 mg/115 mL) were compared with prednisolone disodium phosphate enema (31.25 mg/125 mL) in patients with active distal ulcerative colitis. The study was a randomized, multicentre trial, with two parallel groups and single-blind to the investigator. One hundred patients with active ulcerative colitis, not reaching beyond the splenic flexure as determined by endoscopy, were treated for up to 8 weeks., Results: Forty-five patients were randomized to receive budesonide and 55 to prednisolone. Both treatment groups improved significantly in terms of endoscopic and histological scoring during the study, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Clinical remission, defined as no more than three daily bowel movements without blood and endoscopically non-inflamed mucosa, was achieved in 16% of the patients in the budesonide group after four weeks and in 24% in the prednisolone group (N.S.). After 8 weeks treatment the clinical remission rate in the groups had increased to 36% for budesonide and 47% for prednisolone (N.S.). Mean morning plasma cortisol levels were unchanged in the budesonide group, whereas they were significantly suppressed in the prednisolone group after 2, 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.0001). Side effects were mild and rare in both groups., Conclusions: Treatment with budesonide enema in active distal ulcerative colitis was comparable, regarding efficacy, to treatment with conventional prednisolone enema. A prolongation of the treatment time from 4 to 8 weeks doubled the clinical remission rate in both groups. However, budesonide may be preferable to prednisolone since it causes less systemic effects as reflected by a lack of plasma cortisol suppression.

The predictive value of a urea/creatinine ratio > or = 100 for indicating upper gastrointestinal bleeding was evaluated in 78 consecutive patients with a history of gastrointestinal bleeding 24 hours or less before admission. Serum beta-2-microglobulin was measured to elucidate whether renal hypoperfusion plays a part in elevation of the urea/creatinine ratio. The predictive value of a urea/creatinine ratio > or = 100 in terms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, was 95% (95% confidence interval (CI): 83-99%), whereas the predictive value of a urea/creatinine ratio < 100, indicating lower gastrointestinal bleeding, was 41% (CI: 25-59%). No statistically significant differences were found between serum beta-2-microglobulin levels in upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeders. We conclude that a urea/creatinine ratio > or = 100 strongly indicates an upper gastrointestinal bleeding source and that the main cause of a high ratio is not renal hypoperfusion.

Based on obligatory notifications from pharmacies to the National Board of Health about prescription of strong analgesics as well as questionnaires to the prescribing doctors, the occurrence and causes of pain requiring strong analgesics outside hospitals were analysed over a period of one month in Denmark in a limited population (480,000), corresponding to nearly 10% of the Danish population. During one month, strong analgesics were prescribed to 0.2 per cent of the population. The commonest acute conditions were back pain (23%) and trauma (17%). The commonest recurrent acute conditions were headache (25%) and angina pectoris (17%). The commonest chronic non-malignant conditions were back pain (29%) and pancreatitis (7%). The commonest malignant conditions were lung cancer (20%) and colorectal cancer (14%). The commonest conditions indicated under the chronic pain syndrome were headache (33%) and back pain (13%). Conditions requiring strong analgesics reflect to some extent the distribution of painful conditions in the general population.

It is common for general practitioners (GPs) to refer patients suspected of impaired liver function for laboratory tests (alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, prothrombin, aspartate aminotransferase). In a prospective multipractice study over a six-month period, including 30 GPs, 55 patients were recorded as having, for the first time, a high level of alkaline phosphatase (AP) as an isolated finding, 14 with an increase of aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), eight with an increase of both AP and ASAT, three with an increase of ASAT, AP, and bilirubin, two with an isolated increase of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), one with an increase of ASAT, AP, and bilirubin, combined with a low prothrombin (PP), and, finally, one patient with a low prothrombin in isolation. In most cases the tests were requested because of unspecific symptoms. The most common causes of abnormal test results were neoplasms, alcoholic liver disease, and heart failure. Thirty patients were referred to hospital for further investigations. During the same study period, 50 patients with known abnormal liver function tests were recorded, and the most common causes of these abnormalities were neoplasms, rheumatoid arthritis, and alcoholic liver disease.

A prospective multipractice study based on well-defined data collected by a number of general practitioners (GPs) over a period of time is often used in primary health care research. However, problems of research methodology such as selection bias are common in such studies when GPs either refuse to participate or interrupt their participation. A method is described whereby selection bias is avoided. In the present study, a medical laboratory made a daily record of all abnormal liver function tests requested by GPs over a period of six months. When mailing these results to the GPs, a questionnaire was enclosed in order to obtain a number of clinical data from them. Thirty of 31 possible GPs participated. During the study period, questionnaires concerning 134 patients were mailed, and 118 of these were returned without reminders. Following one reminder the response rate was 100%. Comparing the number of requested tests during the study period with the number requested during a control period before and after the study period (same six month periods of the year), no difference was seen in the pattern of requests. Thus, this method, unbiased with respect to both selection and request-behaviour, is recommended for similar studies.

Xanthine and hypoxanthine are indicators of cellular hypoxia. The purpose of our study was to establish a reference range for the concentrations of xanthine and hypoxanthine in amniotic fluid. Of a total of 38 included in the investigation, 27 pregnant women were found to have low values for xanthine (less than 1.2 mumol/l) and hypoxanthine (less than 0.4 mumol/l). To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to define a reference range for xanthine and hypoxanthine concentration in amniotic fluid during pregnancy.