Effect of Enhanced Psychosocial Assessment on Readmissions of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

In 2015, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will mandate reduced Medicare reimbursements for hospitals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) readmissions that are higher than expected. Several studies identified social issues as a concern and possible contributor to readmissions. This study calculated readmission rates for patients with COPD following an enhanced psychosocial assessment. With 26 participants serving as their own historical controls, a paired t-test of the mean of admissions 90 days prior to the assessment and 90 days postassessment was conducted. The study group had a significantly lower number of readmissions in the 90 days postintervention.     

Personal UV dosimetry by Bacillus subtilis spore films

BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is known to be the most important risk factor for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Until today it has been impossible to measure reliably UVR in the frame of epidemiological studies. The recent development of a spore film containing spores of Bacillus subtilis resulted in a new method of UV measurement by personal dosimetry. METHODS: The practical application of dosimeters was tested in 18 study persons under different circumstances of UV exposure and in 4 different geographical regions. RESULTS: Eleven children carried dosimeters on their shoulders for 1 day, playing in- and outdoors on a sunny day in summertime. Their whole-day values ranged from 0.1 to 1.5 minimal erythema doses (MED) per day with a mean of 0.71 MED (+/-0.44). Four lifeguards in a public swimming-pool carried dosimeters on their shoulders for 11 days and received UV exposures ranging from 3.6 to 9.5 MED (mean 5.9 +/- 1.88). Three mountain guides with dosimeters attached to the lateral head in different mountain regions at 23 mountaineering activities received daily exposures of 4.44-17.07 MED (mean 11.9 +/- 3.8). CONCLUSION: B. subtilis spore film dosimeters can be applied to different study persons including children and mountain guides under different climatic conditions. A broad range of UV exposures can reliably be measured with this method.     

Stellungnahme und Empfehlungen der Kommission malignes Melanom der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft zur Diagnostik,Behandlung und Nachsorge des malignen Melanoms der Haut

Summary. The Melanoma Committee of the German Dermatological Society has prepared this position paper on prognostic factors, classification and clinical staging of cutaneous malignant melanoma and has recommended guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. The aim is to achieve a consensus procedure for dealing with this tumour. Eingegangen am 7. Dezember 1993/Angenommen am 21. Januar 1994     

Adjuvant therapy with recombinant interferon alfa-2a in metastasized malignant melanoma

Recombinant alpha-2a interferon (IFN alpha-2a; Roferon-A) was administered as adjuvant therapy in 21 patients with malignant melanoma stage IIa or IIb after surgical removal of all detectable metastases. Patients received 9 x 10(6) units of IFN alpha-2a s.c. 3 times weekly over 6 months. One patient was treated over 12 months. Relapses occurred in 5 of the 21 patients during therapy, and 10 patients developed new metastases a few weeks or months after the end of therapy. Of the 15 patients with recurrent disease, 9 have since died. One patient without any relapse died of a myocardial infarction 5 months after the start of therapy. Comparison of the 21 treated patients with an untreated historical matched control group did not show any prolongation of the recurrence-free period in the interferon-treated group.