Performance-based home care for the elderly: the quality of circumstance protocol

The paper introduces a performance-based protocol for use by case managers in home care programs for the elderly. Drawing upon the goal attainment approach to service planning and evaluation, the protocol specifies a set of five observable conditions ranging from the highly desirable to the highly undesirable that correspond to each ADL and IADL dimension plus five other dimensions of importance to community residing frail elders. The conditions documented through the protocol provide a basis for setting explicit expectations of what can be achieved through home care interventions. The paper describes a pilot effort to test the protocol in the Massachusetts state funded home care program. Both the protocol's client assessment form and data collection guide are included as appendices.     

Spontaneous abortion following mid-trimester amniocentesis. Clinical significance of placental perforation and blood-stained amniotic fluid

Summary. The clinical significance of placental perforation and bloodstained amniotic fluid was studied in a group of 7238 Danish women undergoing mid-trimester amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis under ultrasound guidance. The risk of spontaneous abortion was significantly increased both in pregnancies where the placenta was perforated and in those with blood-stained amniotic fluid. The risk estimate nearly doubled after placental perforation and more than doubled with a bloody tap. It is concluded that for women at relatively low risk of a fetal genetic abnormality, the indication of the amniocentesis should be reconsidered if a placental perforation is unavoidable.     

Function of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes in pediatric patients with intrinsic and extrinsic asthma during the intercrisis period

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte function: chemotaxis, NBT and myeloperoxidases activity, was investigated in a group of asthmatic pediatric patients, 26 with intrinsic and 27 with extrinsic asthma, during intercrisis. There was no difference between the extrinsic asthma group and the control one while the group with intrinsic asthma showed an increase of chemotaxis activity (p less than 0.001) and NBT reduction (p less than 0.01); myeloperoxidases activity was similar to the control group. The comparative study of the two types of asthma shows a significant increase of NBT reduction (p less than 0.02) and chemotaxis activity (p less than 0.001) in the intrinsic group. These findings demonstrate that polymorphonuclear function is different in the two main types of asthma during the asymptomatic period.     

Cost effectiveness of tinzaparin sodium versus unfractionated heparin in the treatment of proximal deep vein thrombosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate economic and health implications of tinzaparin sodium, a once a day low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), versus unfractionated heparin (UFH) in the treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) from a US healthcare payer perspective. STUDY DESIGN: An economic model, composed of two submodules, was created: A short-term module based on clinical trial data covering the first 3 months and a long-term module that projects trial results based on published data for up to 50 years. METHODS: Clinical trial results were combined with data from long-term follow-up studies of DVT in a model that estimates the health and economic consequences of treatment. Both short- and long-term costs with tinzaparin sodium were compared with UFH, as were health outcomes and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). RESULTS: Patients treated with tinzaparin sodium are estimated to live a mean of 0.9 years longer on average (0.6 discounted), resulting in an increase of 0.8 QALYs (0.5 discounted). At the same time, lifetime savings are US dollars 621 per patient (1999 values), even when all patients receiving tinzapirin sodium are treated as inpatients. Early discharge of patients receiving tinzaparin sodium, or outpatient treatment, would save between US dollars 3000 and US dollars 5000 per patient. CONCLUSION: Tinzaparin sodium leads to better health outcomes and substantial economic savings compared with UFH treatment when all management costs are considered.     

δ13CO2 Excretion and Expression of Dyspeptic Symptoms in Patients Evaluated for Helicobacter pylori Infection by [13C] Urea Breath Test

Previous studies showed that either the urease activity possessed by H. pylori and the bacterial load may influence the results of the [¹³C] urea breath test. However, the correlation between urease activity and dyspepsia is unclear. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the urease activity of the gastroduodenal tract may influence the severity of dyspeptic symptoms. In all, 2520 dyspeptic patients (1109 men, 1411 women; mean age 47 ± 16 years) without gastroesophageal reflux disease, diabetes, vascular disorders, liver and biliary tract diseases, and tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and with a normal appearing abdominal ultrasonography were enrolled. All these patients underwent a [¹³C] urea breath test and filled out a questionnaire on dyspeptic symptoms. Subjects were divided in five different groups according to delta over baseline (DOB) values (group 1 < 3.5, group 2 = 3.5–6; group 3 = 6.1–11, group 4 = 11.1–23, group 5 > 23.1). The prevalence and intensity of dyspeptic symptoms were compared among groups. In all, 1688 patients (67%, 928 females and 760 males; mean age 48 ± 15 years) were H. pylori-positive. The chi-squared test and analysis of variance showed increase of frequency and intensity of each dyspeptic symptom according to DOB values. In conclusion, Dyspepsia may parallel gastric urease activity. However, whether higher DOB values are related to higher bacterial load or, alternatively, to the presence of particular H. pylori strains able to produce larger amounts of urease is uncertain.     

Amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism

Amiodarone is extensively used in cardiology practice because of its excellent antiarrhythmic properties. It produces alterations in thyroid functional because it contains 37% iodine and it is structurally similar to the thyroid hormones. Amiodarone inhibits 5'-deiodinase in the liver. The incidence of amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism is between 6% and 12% of treated patients. The figures for pediatric patients are similar. Determination of tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) plays an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up of thyroid alterations. Treatment options in amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism in children include thionamide, potassium perchlorate, and prednisone. We present the case of hyperthyroidism secondary to amiodarone in a 10-year-old boy with Marfan's syndrome who was admitted several times for crises of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation. After amiodarone treatment he presented a clinical and analytical picture of hyperthyroidism with very low TSH levels and increased free-T4 levels. Thyroid echography and scintigraphy were normal. Treatment with thiamazole did not alter the clinical picture, which returned to normal after prednisone administration. Currently, prednisone is being slowly withdrawn.Amiodarone. Hyperthyroidism. Antiarrhythmics.