Severe tardive dystonia: treatment with continuous intrathecal baclofen administration

A retrospective clinical study to evaluate the effects of paralyzing vermifuges on the course of intestinal obstructions complicating ascariasis was performed. Forty-two patients, 26 patients with partial and 16 patients with complete intestinal obstructions, were treated over 7 years. Although 24 patients have not received any medications two patients with partial obstructions received flaccid paralyzing agent before referral. However, 12 of 16 patients with complete obstruction received spastic paralyzing agent, and the remaining patients received flaccid paralyzing agent before referral. Paralyzing agents, especially those causing spastic paralysis, should be avoided in patients with abdominal symptoms presumed to be related to ascariasis because of the risk of causing complete obstruction and making surgery more complex.     

Validation of a measure of excessive drinking: frequency per year that BAL exceeds 0.08%

Although self-report data are generally evaluated as reliable, validity estimates for self-reported drinking behavior are not as favorable. A new method of measurement addressing problems currently associated with the questionable validity of self-report drinking information is introduced. Study 1 tests the correspondence between the new measure (occasions per year blood alcohol level exceeded 0.08%), traditional self-report measures, and laboratory alcohol consumption. The novel measure correlated most strongly with volume of alcohol consumed in the laboratory compared to the traditional measures. In Study 2 the novel measure was favored over a traditional measure when discriminating between the presence and absence of problem-drinking symptoms.