Motor outcomes during hospitalization in Parkinson's disease patients: A prospective study

BackgroundRetrospective studies suggest that many Parkinson's disease patients have a worsening of their motor status during hospitalization. We aimed to quantify this prospectively, and study possible contributing factors.MethodsOver one year we included all consecutive Parkinson's disease patients, newly admitted to a Dutch teaching hospital. We analyzed complications, interventions, and medication distribution. At inclusion and at discharge we assessed the motor status with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III).Results48% of 46 admitted patients had complications, mainly confusion/delirium (24%) and infections (15%). At discharge 28% of the patients had a worse motor function with a mean increase of more than 5 points on the UPDRS-III. Medication errors occurred in 39%. This is the most important risk factor (p < 0.000) for motor function deterioration, followed by infections during hospitalization, and not being in control of own Parkinson's disease medication. 24% of patients were allowed to take control of their own Parkinson's disease medication, none of these patients did deteriorate.ConclusionsThis prospective study shows that a substantial part of hospitalized PD patients has a significant worse motor function at discharge mainly due to medication errors and infections. Quality of care could be improved by addressing preventable errors and allow patients to take control of their own Parkinson's disease medication.     

32例颈椎术后患者早期神经功能恶化的观察和护理

总结了32例颈椎术后早期神经功能恶化患者的临床护理经验.护理措施包括正确的术前评估、病情的正确判断、正确的给药护理、正确的心理护理与康复训练指导.7例四肢瘫合并呼吸功能障碍者,除1例抢救无效死亡外,其余6例行血肿清除术后症状即刻缓解.另外25例神经症状加重不伴有明显呼吸困难的患者中,15例行原入路探查、血肿清除术或择期二期手术后,症状即刻或逐渐改善;10例未再次手术患者经高压氧治疗后症状不同程度改善.随访6个月,采用日本矫形外科协会(JOA)评分,平均9分.采取积极有效的护理措施可以及时发现早期神经功能恶化,降低致残率,促进患者康复.     

同视机训练对间歇性外斜视术后眼球回退影响的远期疗效观察

目的探讨同视机训练对间歇性外斜视术后患者眼球回退的影响。方法对80例间歇性外斜视术后患者,随机分为治疗组和对照组进行观察,治疗组应用同视机进行融合功能训练,观察术后7、30、180、540天的斜视度、融合功能、立体视并比较分析。结果同视机治疗组与对照组在术后540天的比较,治疗组眼位回退率为15．00％,低于对照组的35．00％(P<0．05);融合功能恢复率达87．50％,高于对照组的60．00％(P<0．05); 立体视功能恢复率达80．00％,明显高于对照组的57．50％(P<0．05),有显著性差异。结论应用同视机对间歇性外斜视术后的患者进行融合功能训练能提高融合功能恢复并减少眼球回退的发生。     

Nutritional status of preschool children in a backward community

The nutritional status of harijan and tribal preschool children upto 2 years of age in Manikpur block, Banda District, Uttar Pradesh was monitored at an interval of one year. Rates of improvement, recovery and deterioration were computed. Of children with grade-I malnutrition 16·4% became normal while 37·3% with grade II malnutrition entered either grade I or became normal. Maxumum improvement (i.e. 50%) was observed in grade III children. Thus, in all 30% of the children showed an improvement in their nutritional status, i.e. recovery rate took place in 10·6% only. In all, 31·5% of subjects worsened or died (3·0%). Of the children who were normal at the beginning 51·2% deteriorated. The % of children who deteriorated in grade I, II and III cohorts respectively were 30·2%, 28·8% and 10·7%. Thus the rates of deterioration were higher than the rates of recovery in different cohorts studied.     

Evaluation of quality of life of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Comparison of two treatment protocols in a prospective study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In recent years, various therapeutic concepts have been developed for treating oral cancer, these include preoperative simultaneous "neoadjuvant" radio-chemotherapy and one-stage-surgery with tumour ablation and reconstruction. When considering long-term survival, there is substantial evidence that the neoadjuvant therapy is superior to the primary surgical approach with postoperative radiation. Both treatment concepts, however, have a strong impact on the quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study prospectively evaluates and compares quality of life in 53 patients with oral cancer treated according to a neoadjuvant concept or primarily surgically, using the questionnaires QLQ C-30 and H and N35 by the EORTC. RESULTS: Initially both groups showed a marked reduction in the quality of life. Despite a clear improvement in the first postoperative year baseline values were not reached in most of the scores. Specific long-lasting impairments in the symptom scales concerning oral functions were found in both treatment arms. In the neoadjuvant therapy group, however, especially global health and the emotional status were reduced to a higher degree than in the other group. This was particularly noticeable in the early treatment phase. CONCLUSIONS: Following an initial deterioration of quality-of-life after 3 months a gradual improvement of physical and psychological function was observed in the course of the first post-treatment year in both groups. Severe side effects can be observed. These side effects vary strongly in their individual expression. Limitations in the quality of life can be justified, if the more aggressive therapy resulted in a better disease free survival.     

Long-term studies on long-acting sympathomimetics

Long-term treatment studies with formoterol and salmeterol show that these inhaled long-actingβ ₂-agonists compared to availableβ ₂-agonists produce better bronchodilation, decrease the need for additional doses, decrease asthma symptoms, and are strongly preferred by the patients. Development of tolerance has not been found. One case history indicates that these effective bronchodilators might mask deterioration of asthma.     

显著改善医疗费用对居民收入公平性的恶化:“总额预算+按服务单元付费”组合支付方式预期效果之一

为科学论证"总额预算+按服务单元付费"组合支付方式对于消除百姓高额医疗费用风险,改善医疗费用所致居民收入公平性恶化的效果,研究借鉴GINI系数原理与方法,利用居民大规模家庭入户调查数据,分析发现按项目付费方式下医疗费用使居民收入公平性恶化了12.61%,而组合支付方式可缓解此种恶化的82.60%,效果显著,且改善作用远大于现行医疗保障的作用(20.68%)。     

Individualizing and optimizing the use of early warning scores in acute medical care for deteriorating hospitalized patients

AimWhile early warning scores (EWS) have the potential to identify physiological deterioration in an acute care setting, the implementation of EWS in clinical practice has yet to be fully realized. The primary aim of this study is to identify optimal patient-centered rapid response team (RRT) activation rules using electronic medical records (EMR)-derived Markovian models.MethodsThe setting for the observational cohort study included 38,356 adult general floor patients hospitalized in 2011. The national early warning score (NEWS) was used to measure the patient health condition. Chi-square and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to identify statistically significant subpopulations as a function of the admission type (medical or surgical), frailty as measured by the Braden skin score, and history of prior clinical deterioration (RRT, cardiopulmonary arrest, or unscheduled ICU transfer).ResultsStatistical tests identified 12 statistically significant subpopulations which differed clinically, as measured by length of stay and time to re-admission (P < .001). The Chi-square test of independence results showed a dependency structure between subsequent states in the embedded Markov chains (P < .001). The SMDP models identified two sets of subpopulation-specific RRT activation rules for each statistically unique subpopulation. Clinical deterioration experience in prior hospitalizations did not change the RRT activation rules. The thresholds differed as a function of admission type and frailty.ConclusionsEWS were used to identify personalized thresholds for RRT activation for statistically significant Markovian patient subpopulations as a function of frailty and admission type. The full potential of EWS for personalizing acute care delivery is yet to be realized.     

Progressive hearing loss after completion of cisplatin chemotherapy is common and more pronounced in children without spontaneous otoacoustic emissions before chemotherapy

Objective

High frequency hearing loss following cisplatin chemotherapy is frequent in children and often necessitates the fitting of hearing aids. During therapy, hearing is usually monitored. Post-therapeutic follow-up does not routinely include monitoring of hearing, although there are indications that hearing thresholds can decline after therapy.

Methods

Pure-tone audiograms taken from 27 children (17 males, 10 females) treated with cisplatin at Muenster university hospital (mean age 9.84 years, standard deviation 3.67 years) including an audiological follow-up at least 6 months after therapy, were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

In follow-up tests after completion of therapy, 24.1% of all ears showed an increase in mean high frequency hearing thresholds (4-8 kHz). Post-therapeutic hearing deterioration was significant at 4 kHz and significantly more pronounced in children without measurable spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE) before therapy. Post-therapeutic hearing deterioration did not occur in ears with normal pure tone thresholds (≤10 dB at all frequencies) after cisplatin therapy. No correlation was found between post-therapeutic hearing deterioration and cranial irradiation.

Conclusions

Cisplatin chemotherapy follow-up should include audiological monitoring in all children with elevated pure tone thresholds after therapy. Routine SOAE measurements taken as part of baseline audiometry before the start of chemotherapy can be taken into consideration.