BACKGROUND Suspected hypersensitivity to betalactam antibiotics in children is a frequent cause of consultation that proves costly in terms of resource utilization--particularly time. Such hypersensitivity is, however, rarely confirmed. METHODS A short protocol was introduced in which patients at low risk (single episode with mild, non-immediate skin symptoms after the administration of a bet...

Antihistamines are effective for treatment of seasonal nasal allergy. Recently, prophylactic treatment with antihistamines in patients with pollinosis was reported to be more effective when started before the pollen season. The administration with antihistamines from 2 to 6 weeks before onset of the pollen season is recommended for management of allergic rhinitis in Japan. To determine the reas...

BACKGROUND A cold provocation test is used to assess the presence and extent of the peripheral vascular disorders in the upper extremities of workers exposed to hand-arm vibration. A quantitative evaluation of vascular response to cold provocation is determined by measuring the finger skin temperature. In the study two methods of cold exposure were used to assess the effect of water temperature...

Previous research indicates that physical examination cannot diagnose sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pathology. Earlier studies have not reported sensitivities and specificities of composites of provocation tests known to have acceptable inter-examiner reliability. This study examined the diagnostic power of pain provocation SIJ tests singly and in various combinations, in relation to an accepted crite...

Intrusive thoughts and compulsive urges to perform stereotyped behaviours are typical symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Emerging evidence suggests a cognitive bias towards habit formation at the expense of goal-directed performance in obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this study, we test this hypothesis using a novel individualized ecologically valid symptom provocation design: a live ...

BACKGROUND Anecdotal report suggests that provocation of pain during epidural steroid injection (ESI) that is concordant with typical radicular symptoms predicts pain outcome following injection. However, limited evidence exists that substantiates this theory. Additionally, there is a paucity of literature investigating factors associated with the provocation of pain during ESI. OBJECTIVES Th...