Patterns and Predictors of Reincarceration among Prisoners with Serious Mental Illness: A Cohort Study: Modèles et prédicteurs de réincarcération chez les prisonniers souffrant de maladie mentale grave : Une étude de cohorte

Background:A small proportion of people who have serious mental illness and rapid and frequent incarcerations account for a disproportionate amount of overall service use and cost. It is important to describe such individuals, so that services can respond more effectively.Methods:We investigated a cohort of 4,704 incarcerated men and women who were discharged from a correctional mental health service and followed for a median of 535 days. We investigated social, clinical, demographic, and offense characteristics as predictors of return to the service using Cox survival analyses. Secondly, we characterized individuals as high-frequency service users as those who had 3 or more incarcerations during a 1-year period and investigated their characteristics.Results:We found that a higher rate of return to custody was associated with schizophrenia spectrum/bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), personality disorder traits, crack cocaine and methamphetamine use, and unstable housing. Charges of theft/robbery and breach of probation were also positively associated, and sex assault was negatively associated with return to custody. Within a 1-year time period, we found 7.2% of individuals were high-frequency service users, which accounted for 19.5% of all reincarcerations.Conclusion:Identification of the characteristics of those with mental illness in custody, especially those who have high-frequency returns to custody, may provide opportunity to target resources more effectively. The primary targets of intervention would be to treat those with schizophrenia/BPAD and substance use problems, particularly those using stimulants, and addressing homelessness. This could reduce the problem of repeated criminalization of the mentally ill and reduce the overall incarceration rate.     

Early oral feeding after pancreatoduodenectomy enhances recovery without increasing morbidity

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a change in the routine feeding strategy applied after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) from nasojejunal tube (NJT) feeding to early oral feeding improved clinical outcomes.

Methods

An observational cohort study was performed in 102 consecutive patients undergoing PD. In period 1 (n = 51, historical controls), the routine postoperative feeding strategy was NJT feeding. This was changed to a protocol of early oral feeding with on-demand NJT feeding in period 2 (n = 51, consecutive prospective cohort). The primary outcome was time to resumption of adequate oral intake.

Results

The baseline characteristics of study subjects in both periods were comparable. In period 1, 98% (n = 50) of patients received NJT feeding, whereas in period 2, 53% (n = 27) of patients did so [for delayed gastric empting (DGE) (n = 20) or preoperative malnutrition (n = 7)]. The time to resumption of adequate oral intake significantly decreased from 12 days in period 1 to 9 days in period 2 (P = 0.015), and the length of hospital stay shortened from 18 days in period 1 to 13 days in period 2 (P = 0.015). Overall, there were no differences in the incidences of complications of Clavien–Dindo Grade III or higher, DGE, pancreatic fistula, postoperative haemorrhage and mortality between the two periods.

Conclusions

The introduction of an early oral feeding strategy after PD reduced the time to resumption of adequate oral intake and length of hospital stay without negatively impacting postoperative morbidity.     

Long-Term Results of Surgical Intervention on the Temporomandibular Joint

Between 1973–1987, 40 patients (51 joints) underwent 71 surgical procedures on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Indications for surgery included painful TM dysfunction, not alleviated by conservative treatment of at least 12 months' duration, or complete anterior disk dislocation not responding to conservative treatment for three to six months. The incidence of surgical treatment in the period 1983–1987 was 4.1% in a group of 679 patients. The mean follow-up is 5.8 years (range 1–15 years).

At the follow-up examination (37/51) 72.5% of the treated joints appeared to have an excellent or good result; however, 14/51 joints had one or more reoperations (= 14/40 patients: 35%).

The first surgical procedure on the TMJ resulted in an excellent or good result in 29/51 (57%) joints: 6/14 (= 42.9%) high condylectomies; 5/8 (= 62.5%) high condylectomies with a plication procedure; 15/24 (= 62.5%) plication procedure only; 2/2 silastic implants. After one or more reoperations, these figures improved to 10/14 (71%) high condylectomies, 7/8 (87.5%) high condylectomies with a plication procedure, 17/24 (70.8%) plication procedures.

Radiographic changes, including flattening of the condyle, lack of condylar contour, erosion, sclerosis, subcondral cysts, and osteophytes were seen in all (16/16) patients in which a high condylectomy was performed. Out of 22 joints in which only a disk repositioning and plication procedure was performed, only 4/22 showed radiographic changes. The radiographic status was not correlated to the clinical picture at the time of the follow-up examination.     

Dementia in the movies: the clinical picture

Objectives: Visual media influence the general public's perceptions and attitudes regarding people with mental conditions. This qualitative study investigates the depiction accuracy of dementia's clinical features in motion pictures.Method: Using the search terms ‘dementia’, ‘Alzheimer's disease’ and ‘senility’ movies with release dates between January 2000 and March 2012 were sought on the Internet Movie Database. Based on four selection criteria 23 movies were included. Independently, three researchers watched all movies, scored symptoms, capacities, and behaviors. Scores were discussed and refined during consensus meetings, resulting in a taxonomy of clinical features.Results: Various features are found, most often cognitive symptoms. Behavioral features are also shown – retiring behavior more than agitation – and various emotions, but physical symptoms are rarely depicted. Capacities are infrequently presented and are unrealistic in several of the movies.Conclusion: The clinical picture of dementia portrayed in fictional movies is mild and may be misleading.