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The use of psychotropic drugs in the paediatric population has not been the subject of many studies, due to the fact that this population is generally not included in clinical trials and these drugs are not authorized for use on minors. This study aims to provide an accurate description of psychotropic drug use in children and adolescents in the North of Europe and Catalonia. Data from 2008 to 2017 on psychotropic drug consumption in children and adolescents were retrieved from the databases of Catalonia, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Psychotropic drugs were divided into antipsychotics, anxiolytics (also hypnotics and sedatives), antidepressants and psychostimulants. Data were stratified by group of age (0–4, 5–9, 10–14 and 15–19/15–17 for Denmark and Catalonia) and sex. Overall, the group of anxiolytics shows the highest consumption and the group of antipsychotics the lowest. In 2017, Sweden was the country with the highest consumption of psychotropic drugs (6.67‰) and has the highest increase in consumption (152.8%), and Denmark has the lowest consumption for all groups (3.13‰). Catalonia shows a decrease in psychotropic drugs (−15.9%). Girls consume more than twice as many antidepressants as boys while the opposite is true for psychostimulants. Risperidone and quetiapine are among the most consumed antipsychotics in the Nordic countries, whereas in Catalonia they are risperidone and aripiprazole. Among antidepressants, sertraline is the most consumed. No differences are found among the psychostimulants. Psychotropic consumption in younger populations is increasing, although there are differences between the countries as far as which drugs are used. Nordic countries show a higher prevalence of use than Catalonia. Psychotropic drug consumption increases with age, except for psychostimulants, which have the highest utilization rate among 10–14-year-olds.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect the globe. After 18 months of the SARS-CoV-2 emergence, clinicians have clearly defined a subgroup of patients with lasting, disabling symptoms. While big strides have been made in understanding the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the pathophysiology of long COVID is still largely unknown, and evidence-based, effective treatments for this condition remain unavailable. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of 10 mg oral montelukast every 24 h versus placebo in improving quality of life associated with mild to moderate respiratory symptoms in patients with long COVID as measured with the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) questionnaire. The secondary objectives will evaluate the effect of montelukast versus placebo on improving exercise capacity, COVID-19 symptoms (asthenia, headache, mental confusion or brain fog, ageusia, and anosmia), oxygen desaturation during exertion, functional status, and mortality. Methods and analysis Phase III, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. We will include 18- to 80-year-old patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and mild to moderate respiratory symptoms lasting more than 4 weeks. Participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention (experimental treatment with 10 mg/day montelukast) or the control group (placebo group), during a 28-day treatment. Follow-up will finish 56 days after the start of treatment. The primary outcome will be health-related quality of life associated with respiratory symptoms according to the COPD Assessment Test 4 weeks after starting the treatment. The following are the secondary outcomes: (a) exercise capacity and oxygen saturation (1-min sit-to-stand test); (b) Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale; (c) other symptoms: asthenia, headache, mental confusion (brain fog), ageusia, and anosmia (Likert scale); (d) use of healthcare resources; (e) mortality; (f) sick leave duration in days; and (g) side effects of montelukast. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the IDIAPJGol (reference number 21/091-C). The trial results will be published in open access, peer-reviewed journals and explained in webinars to increase awareness and understanding about long COVID among primary health professionals. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT04695704. Registered on January 5, 2021. EudraCT number 2021-000605-24. Prospectively registered.

Background: Psychotropic drugs have not been deeply studied in the paediatric population as normally this population is not included in clinical trials and these drugs are not authorised for it use in under 18 years. Objectives: To describe the use of psychotropic drugs in children and adolescents in the North of Europe and Catalonia. Methods: Data on psychotropic drug consumption in children and adolescents were retrieved from the databases of Catalonia, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden from 2008 to 2017. Psychotropic drugs were divided in antipsychotics, anxiolytics (also hypnotics and sedatives), antidepressants and psychostimulants. Data were stratified by group of age (0-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15-19/ 15-17 for Denmark and Catalonia) and sex. Results: Overall the group of anxiolytics shows the highest consumption and the group of antipsychotics the lowest. Sweden is the country with the highest consumption of psychotropic drugs and the highest increase in its consumption. Denmark has the lowest consumption for all groups. Catalonia shows a decrease in psychotropic drugs. Girls consume more than twice as many antidepressants as boys and the opposite is for psychostimulants. Risperidone and quetiapine are among the most consumed antipsychotics in the Nordic countries, in Catalonia they are risperidone and aripiprazole. Among the antidepressants sertraline is the most consumed. No differences are found among the psychostimulants. Differences regarding the use of anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives are found between the Nordic countries (melatonin is the most consumed) and Catalonia (hydroxyzine). Conclusions: Psychotropic consumption in younger populations is increasing though there are differences among the active substances among countries. Nordic countries show a higher prevalence of use than Catalonia. Psychotropic drug consumption increases with age being the only exception the psychostimulants consumption, which is highest in the 10-14 years group.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the profile of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who start an anticoagulant treatment after diagnosis with dabigatran and compare it with those who start with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). We analysed primary health care-based electronic health records data from 15,075 people with new diagnosis of atrial fibrillation who initiated treatment with dabigatran or VKA spanning 2011–2013. Logistic regression analysis for determination of factors associated with initiation of dabigatran was performed. We identified 14,266 (94.6%) people who initiated VKA and 809 (5.4%) who initiated dabigatran. Mean age of people treated with dabigatran was lower than in VKA patients (73.7 vs 75.5 years, p

Many people with diabetes often reuse disposable needles for subcutaneous insulin injection. We aimed to identify, critically appraise and summarize the available evidence about the safety of this practice.Systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.MEDLINE (via PubMed), CINALH (via EBSCO), SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Open Grey were searched from their inception to December 2015, with no language restrictions.Epidemiologic and experimental studies assessing adverse effects of reusing needles in people of any age or sex, with or without diabetes, were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of included studies using a multi-design tool.In total, 25 studies were included. All studies had a high risk of bias and data from only nine studies could be pooled. Five studies showed no association between infection at site of injection and reuse of needles (risk difference=-0.00; 95% confidence interval=-0.12-0.11; P=0.99); heterogeneity between these studies was substantial (I(2)=66%; P=0.02). Five cross-sectional studies showed an association between lipohypertrophy and needle reuse (risk difference=0.16, 95% confidence interval=0.05-0.28, P=0.006); there was strong evidence of heterogeneity between these studies (I(2)=87%; P0.001). Pooled data of two studies with no evidence of heterogeneity between them showed more perceived pain among reusers (risk difference=0.24; 95% confidence interval=0.06-0.43; P=0.006). Reusing a pen needle or disposable syringe-needle was not associated with worse glycaemic control.There is currently no clear scientific evidence to suggest for or against the reuse of needles for subcutaneous insulin injection. This practice is very common among people with diabetes; consequently, further research is necessary to establish its safety.

Background: Paracetamol's solubility is achieved by adding to the excipient sodium salts, either as bicarbonate, carbonate or citrate. As the relationship between salt and hypertension is well known, due to the sodium content it has raised a hypothesis that may interfere with the control of that risk factor. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effect on blood pressure of effervescent paracetamol compared to non-effervescent, in hypertensive patients. Methods/Design: This is the protocol of a phase IV multicenter clinical trial, randomized, controlled, crossover, open, which will compare the effect of two different formulations of paracetamol (effervescent or non-effervescent) in the blood pressure of hypertensive patients, with a seven weeks follow up. 49 controlled hypertensive patients will be included (clinical BP lower than 150 and 95 mmHg, and lower than 135 mmHg and 85 mmHg in patients with diabetes or a history of cardiovascular event, and daytime ambulatory measurements lower than 140 and 90 mmHg) and mild to moderate pain (Visual Analog Scale between 1 and 4). The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Fundacio Jordi Gol i Gurina and following standards of good clinical practice. The primary endpoint will be the variations in systolic BP in 24 h Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, considering significant differences 2 or more mmHg among those treated with non-effervescent and effervescent formulations. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis will be held. Discussion: Despite the broad recommendation not to use effervescent drugs in patients with hypertension, there are relatively little studies that show exactly this pressor effect due to sodium in salt that gives the effervescence of the product. This is the first clinical trial designed to study the effect of effervescence compared to the non-effervescent, in well-controlled hypertensive patients with mild to moderate pain, performed in routine clinical practice