OBJECTIVE to determine whether the use of a helicopter ambulance unit enabled an ambulance service to deliver acutely traumatized patients to hospital more quickly. DESIGN retrospectively collected ambulance service and hospital records data analysed longitudinally. SETTINGS The ambulance service and the major casualty department in Cornwall. INTERVENTION the provision of a helicopter amb...

In this manuscript, we summarise the experience of Greece during the post-pandemic influenza season 2010/11 from 04 October 2010 to 22 May 2011. The spread of the disease and its impact were monitored using multiple surveillance systems, such as sentinel surveillance, virological surveillance and all-cause mortality surveillance. We also focus on the characteristics of laboratory-confirmed seve...

O VER the past two decades surgical patient care has undergone a major change. While in the past, most of the surgical procedures required inpatient admissions, now most of the performed operations, an estimated 65% of operations in North America, are completed in ambulatory settings. The improvement of anesthetic and surgical techniques, which resulted in an extremely good safety record of amb...

BACKGROUND The objective of the study was to use routinely collected data to compare the mortality experience of people admitted to nursing homes from hospital and the community; and to describe changes in mortality over a 5 year period. METHODS A retrospective cohort study and survival analysis were carried out. The subjects were 841 people admitted as Local Authority funded long-stay reside...

OBJECTIVES Heart failure is a common cause of unplanned hospital admissions but there is little evidence on why, despite evidence-based interventions, admissions occur. This study aimed to identify critical points on patient pathways where risk of admission is increased and identify barriers to the implementation of evidence-based interventions. DESIGN Multicentre, longitudinal, patient-led e...

BACKGROUND In Denmark, approximately 12,000 hip and knee arthroplasties were performed in 2006, and the hospital costs were close to US$ 110,000,000. In a randomized clinical trial, we have recently demonstrated the efficacy of accelerated perioperative care and rehabilitation intervention after hip and knee arthroplasty compared to current intervention under ideal circumstances. We do not, how...

OBJECTIVE To model the population level impact of tai-chi on future rates of falls and fall-related injury in older people as a tool for policy development. DESIGN An epidemiological and economic model for estimating population-level effectiveness of tai-chi. SETTING Australia, 2009. Patients or subjects Australian community-dwelling population aged 70+ years, ambulatory and without debilit...

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of the three self-care Groups on ulcer prevalence and readmission rates in Okegbala hospital. DESIGN A retrospective, descriptive study. The evaluation combined four data collection methods namely (i) records survey, (ii) semi-structured interviews of individual members of self-care groups, (iii) group discussions and (iv) key informant interviews. RESULTS Rec...

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the pre-hospital emergency services, non-surgical interventions, and clinical outcomes in patients with traumatic spine referred to Poursina hospital in Guilan. Methods: Spine trauma registry of Poursina hospital of Rasht were used. Records of patients with traumatic spine were reviewed for pre-hospital emergency services, non-surgical interventi...