Zopiclone, a cyclopyrrolone with hypnotic properties was compared with temazepam and placebo in the treatment of insomnia. After a week's washout period, suitable subjects were allocated at random to zopiclone 7.5 mg or temazepam 20 mg or placebo for 2 weeks. Measurements of psychomotor function using the Leed's psychomotor tester and letter cancellation were carried out on day 0, 7 and 14. Sleep latency, duration of sleep and number of times waking during the night were recorded on a sleep diary filled by the subjects nightly. Forty-four subjects completed the trial, 15 taking zopiclone, 16 taking temazepam and 10 taking placebo. Both zopiclone and temazepam had significant hypnotic properties when compared to placebo. Zopiclone increased total sleep time in both weeks of the trial while temazepam increased sleep time in the first week only. There was no significant deterioration in psychomotor performance at the end of both weeks for zopiclone. Critical flicker fusion was significantly increased in subjects on temazepam. There were no abnormalities for both zopiclone and temazepam subjects in the blood picture, renal profile, liver function, urine and ECG before and after the study. Zopiclone is an effective hypnotic comparable to temazepam.
Seventy-three out of a hundred Malaysians on phenothiazines for more than 24 months had ocular pigmentation. Seventy-one had conjunctiva pigmentation. No pigmentary retinopathy or visual impairment was detected. Frequency of pigmentation increased with age and with higher total dosage prescribed, but there was no critical level below which pigmentation was not detected.
Ten patients on long term lithium therapy (mean four years, range 1-10.5 years) were subjected to various renal, thyroid, haematological, cardiac and endocrine tests. There was impaired urinary concentrating ability in seven subjects, which was not responsive to vasopressin stimulation, suggesting a partial nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Nine subjects had metabolic acidosis with higher urinary pH than expected suggesting presence of acidification defect in the kidney. No significant change in renal function, thyroid function, ECG or haematological parameters were detected. Our findings concur with previous reports from the West regarding the safety of lithium administration.
Good communication is essential but sometimes challenging in pediatric palliative care. We describe 3 cases whereby miniature chairs made of various materials and colors were used successfully to encourage communication among pediatric patients, family, and health care professionals. This chair-inspired model may serve as a simple tool to facilitate complex discussions and to enable self-expression by children in the pediatric palliative care setting.