A 60-year-old male with end-stage kidney disease due to autosomal polycystic kidney disease began maintenance hemodialysis in 2005. A brain CT scan showed dilatation of left vertebral artery, basilar artery, bilateral post cerebral artery, and middle cerebral artery. At the time, he was diagnosed as vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia. He was once admitted to our hospital for ischemic stroke. After ...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine if the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is as useful as the Morse Fall Scale in determining which patients admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) are at highest risk for fall. METHOD Review of the charts of all patients admitted to an IRF in calendar year 2010. FINDINGS Low scores on the FIM are as useful as high scores...

Background. MSA (Multiple System Atrophy) may be associated either with Parkinsonism or with cerebellar ataxia (MSA-c subtype). It is considered a rare disease, but many patients are misdiagnosed as suffering from idiopathic Parkinson's disease. In this paper, we report a case of a patient admitted with respiratory failure and vocal cords paralysis due to MSA-c. Case Report. A 79-year-old Cauca...

BACKGROUND The burden of mental and behavioural disorders in Australia has increased significantly over the last decade. The aim of the current study is to describe the hospital admission rates for mental illness over a 10-year period for primiparous mothers in the first year after birth. METHODS This is an Australian population-based descriptive study with linked data from the New South Wale...

AIMS The aim of the Danish Palliative Care Database (DPD) is to monitor, evaluate, and improve the clinical quality of specialized palliative care (SPC) (ie, the activity of hospital-based palliative care teams/departments and hospices) in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION The study population is all patients in Denmark referred to and/or in contact with SPC after January 1, 2010. MAIN VARIABLES Th...

BACKGROUND Head injury (HI) is preventable and knowledge of the epidemiology of children's HI is essential for developing preventive strategies. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to survey pediatric HI patients admitted to emergency wards at Poursina Hospital in Rasht, Iran, from 2009 to 2010, and to identify the cause of HI in these children. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this retrospective s...

BACKGROUND Doctors' strikes have a negative effect on hospital performance indicators. Hospital mortality during such strikes is the most important indicator. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of the 2010 strike on Polokwane Hospital. METHODS Information was collected from the Hospital Information System, Polokwane Hospital Casualty Department, wards and theatres. RESULTS During the 20-d...

Objective To investigate changes in incidence of admissions for schizophrenia and related non-affective psychoses in North Wales. Design Data from two epidemiologically complete cohorts of patients presenting for the first time to mental health services in North Wales between 1875-1924 and 1994-2010 are used in this study to map the incidence of hospital admissions for schizophrenia and non-af...

OBJECTIVE To update knowledge of the incidence of paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH, also referred to as dysautonomia), an emergency condition tentatively attributed to sympathetic paroxysms or diencephalic-hypothalamic disarrangement associated with severe diffuse brain axonal damage or hypoxia. This condition is reportedly common in the vegetative state, threatens survival and affects...

OBJECTIVE To describe the evolution of clinical characteristics, in-hospital management and early outcome of elderly patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). METHODS We analysed data from five consecutive Italian nationwide registries, conducted between 2001 and 2010, including patients with acute coronary syndromes admitted to cardiac care units (CCUs). RESULTS Of 10 ...