INTRODUCTION We investigated the relationship between frequency of exacerbation and duration and change in functional status, as measured by the BODE index in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. METHODS This was a longitudinal cohort study of 56 patients with moderate to severe COPD. Body mass index, spirometry, Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnoea score and si...

BACKGROUND The concept of palliative care consisting of five distinct, clinically meaningful, phases (stable, unstable, deteriorating, terminal and bereavement) was developed in Australia about 20 years ago and is used routinely for communicating clinical status, care planning, quality improvement and funding. AIM To test the reliability and acceptability of revised definitions of Palliative ...

BACKGROUND Poorly controlled asthma can lead to maternal and fetal complications. Despite the known risks of poorly controlled asthma during pregnancy and the need for stepping up therapy when appropriate, there are concerns that management is suboptimal in primary care.Our objective was to investigate the management of asthma during pregnancy by general practitioners providing shared maternity...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The decision to proceed with surgery in cerebellar infarct with mass effect (CIMASS) in deteriorating patients is based on clinical features. The potential role of neuroimaging in predicting deterioration has not been systematically studied. In this study we determine the role of neuroimaging in predicting deterioration in CIMASS. METHODS -We retrospectively reviewed th...

 Normally, the real-world inventory control problems are imprecisely defined and human interventions are often required to solve these decision-making problems. In this paper, a realistic inventory model with imprecise inventory costs have been formulated for deteriorating items under trade credit policy within the economic production quantity (EPQ) framework. We assume that the supplier would...

Union Organizing Decisions in a Deteriorating Environment: The Composition of Representation Elections and the Decline in Turnout It is well known that the organizing environment for labor unions in the U.S. has deteriorated dramatically over a long period of time, contributing to the sharp decline in the private sector union membership rate and resulting in many fewer representation elections ...