Nutrition survey in an elderly population following admission to a tertiary care hospital

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition in elderly patients in institutions has become an issue of clinical concern, but it remains largely unrecognized in acute care hospitals. The demonstrated benefits of intervention emphasize the need for routine nutritional assessment. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in elderly patients admitted to a tertiary care centre and to test the sensitivity and specificity of 3 nutrition screening tools. METHODS: Between July and November 1996 patients 65 years and older were consecutively recruited from the general medicine, orthopedics, general surgery and neurosciences services of The Ottawa Hospital--General Campus within 72 hours of admission. They were interviewed using 3 nutritional screening tools: one developed by Chandra and colleagues (Chandra), the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). A detailed nutrition assessment was then undertaken, which included anthropometric assessment, laboratory tests, determination of risk factors and assessment of dietary intake. A dietitian blinded to the screening results classified each patient as being well nourished, at risk for malnutrition or malnourished. The prevalence of malnutrition was assessed, and screening results were compared with the results of the detailed nutrition assessment for sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: In total, 160 patients (86 women) were recruited. Detailed nutrition assessments were completed for 152 patients, of which 62 (40.8%) were found to be well nourished, 67 (44.1%) at moderate risk for malnutrition and 23 (15.1%) malnourished. Matched comparisons showed that, of the 23 malnourished patients, 1 was found to be at high risk for malnutrition using the Chandra screening tool, 9 using the NSI and 4 using the MNA, giving sensitivities of 32%, 54% and 57%, and specificities of 85%, 61% and 69%, respectively. INTERPRETATION: Given the high rate of malnutrition or risk of malnutrition in this study, admitting physicians need to be aware of this problem and its scope. The 3 screening tools tested performed poorly in comparison with the detailed nutrition assessment. This may have been because the score thresholds for the screening tools were set for screening purposes and because the screening tools were designed for different settings and a wider population.     

Diagnosing and management of iatrogenic moderate and severe ovarian hyperstymulation syndrome (OHSS) in clinical material

Severe ovarian hyperstymulation syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication in patients undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART). The pathogenesis of this condition is likely to be multifactorial. The aim of the retrospective study was to present management in moderate and severe iatrogenic ovarian hyperstymulation syndrome (OHSS) in clinical material. The study group was 19 women, admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Central Clinical Hospital of Ministry of Interior and Administration in Warsaw from large outpatient infertility center "Novum" in Warsaw with moderate and severe OHSS between 14.07.2004 and 8.11.2005. Laboratory tests and ultrasound examination of the ovarian size and ascites were performed, abdominal circumference was measured. Patients were treated with rehydration with intravenous crystalloids and colloids, diuretics, antibiotics, anticoagulants and ultrasound-guided paracentesis if symptoms of ascites become severe (ascites causes pain and compromised pulmonary function). Oral intake of water was restricted, monitoring of fluid intake and output, and daily monitoring of body weight was performed. During treatment controlled laboratory tests were done. In one patient occurred intra-abdominal hemorrhage from ovarian rupture and laparotomy with oophorectomy was performed. The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is still a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problem and more studies are required to elucidate pathophysiology of OHSS. Because of still unknown etiology treatment is empirical and in most of cases bases on experience of medical team. Thus, the management in individual patients varies according to the severity of ovarian hyperstymulation syndrome and its complications.     

Distribution of potential eye and tissue donors within an Australian teaching hospital

Eye and Tissue donation has the capacity to transform lives, yet the vast majority of potential in-hospital donors are not recognised. Studies which describe the relative importance of specific units or wards in determining the size of the donor pool are limited. The aim of this study was to map the distribution of potential Eye and Tissue donors within the study hospital. A 12-month retrospective analysis of all patient deaths at the study hospital was undertaken. The ability to donate corneal, heart valve, bone and skin tissue was investigated. Patients were classified as potential donors if they met specific age criteria and had an absence of contraindications based on electronic database search. There were 985 deaths during the study period. Deaths occurred under the care of 26 separate clinical units, and within 28 unique wards and treatment spaces. Four hundred and forty nine (45.6%) patients were identified as potential eye or tissue donors. The majority of potential donors occurred in ICU, Emergency and palliative care units. Of the subset of 328 deaths ≤ 70 years, the frequency of potential tissue donors was 55% (n = 181). ED and ICU had significantly higher frequencies of potential donor than other wards (86 and 77%, p < 0.01). The current study has identified the ED, ICU and PCUs are being important sites for potential Eye and Tissue Donors within our hospital. These will provide an important focus for future interventions to improve the rate of eye and tissue donation.     

Safety and tolerability of donepezil 23 mg in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease

Background  

Donepezil 23 mg/d, recently approved in the United States for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD), was developed to address the need for an additional treatment option for patients with advanced AD. This report, based on a pivotal phase 3 study, presents a detailed analysis of the safety and tolerability of increasing donepezil to 23 mg/d compared with continuing 10 mg/d.     

Vaginal microbiome and epithelial gene array in post-menopausal women with moderate to severe dryness

After menopause, many women experience vaginal dryness and atrophy of tissue, often attributed to the loss of estrogen. An understudied aspect of vaginal health in women who experience dryness due to atrophy is the role of the resident microbes. It is known that the microbiota has an important role in healthy vaginal homeostasis, including maintaining the pH balance and excluding pathogens. The objectives of this study were twofold: first to identify the microbiome of post-menopausal women with and without vaginal dryness and symptoms of atrophy; and secondly to examine any differences in epithelial gene expression associated with atrophy. The vaginal microbiome of 32 post-menopausal women was profiled using Illumina sequencing of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Sixteen subjects were selected for follow-up sampling every two weeks for 10 weeks. In addition, 10 epithelial RNA samples (6 healthy and 4 experiencing vaginal dryness) were acquired for gene expression analysis by Affymetrix Human Gene array. The microbiota abundance profiles were relatively stable over 10 weeks compared to previously published data on premenopausal women. There was an inverse correlation between Lactobacillus ratio and dryness and an increased bacterial diversity in women experiencing moderate to severe vaginal dryness. In healthy participants, Lactobacillus iners and L. crispatus were generally the most abundant, countering the long-held view that lactobacilli are absent or depleted in menopause. Vaginal dryness and atrophy were associated with down-regulation of human genes involved in maintenance of epithelial structure and barrier function, while those associated with inflammation were up-regulated consistent with the adverse clinical presentation.     

Integrated hospital and community psychiatric services and use of inpatient beds.

The impact of introducing a divisional psychiatric service based in the community in Nottingham in 1981 on adult psychiatric admissions (patients aged 15-65) was examined with data from the Nottingham case register. During 1980-5 the number of psychiatric admissions fell significantly (4.5% a year) compared with the national figures (0.46% a year). Admissions were reduced most for the diagnoses of affective psychosis and neurotic and personality disorders. The average duration of admission fell by 3.6% a year, and use of inpatient beds fell by 37.5%. Integrating hospital and community psychiatric services by creating sectors is a viable and economically feasible way of improving psychiatric services.     

Long-term safety and tolerability of donepezil 23 mg in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Donepezil (23 mg/day) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). Approval was based on results from a 24-week, randomized, double-blind study of patients who were stable on donepezil 10 mg/day and randomized 2:1 to either increase their donepezil dose to 23 mg/day or continue taking 10 mg/day. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of donepezil 23 mg/day in patients with moderate to severe AD. METHODS: Patients who completed the double-blind study and were eligible could enroll into a 12-month extension study of open-label donepezil 23 mg/day. Clinic visits took place at open-label baseline and at months 3, 6, 9, and 12. Safety analyses comprised examination of the incidence, severity, and timing of treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs); changes in weight, electrocardiogram, vital signs, and laboratory parameters; and discontinuation due to AEs. RESULTS: 915 double-blind study completers were enrolled in the open-label extension study and 902 comprised the safety population. Mean treatment duration in this study was 10.3 +/- 3.5 months. In total, 674 patients (74.7%) reported at least one AE; in 320 of these patients (47.5%) at least one AE was considered to be possibly or probably study drug related. The majority of patients reporting AEs (81.9%) had AEs of mild or moderate severity. There were 268 patients (29.7%) who discontinued early, of which 123 (13.6%) were due to AEs. Patients increasing donepezil dose from 10 mg/day in the double-blind study to 23 mg/day in the extension study had slightly higher rates of AEs and SAEs than patients who were already receiving 23 mg (78.0% and 16.9% vs 72.8% and 14.0%, respectively). The incidence of new AEs declined rapidly after the first 2 weeks and remained low throughout the duration of the study. CONCLUSION: This study shows that long-term treatment with donepezil 23 mg/day is associated with no new safety signals. The elevated incidence of AEs in patients increasing the dose of donepezil from 10 mg/day to 23 mg/day was limited to the initial weeks of the study.     

The burden of genetic disease on inpatient care in a children's hospital

The important role of genetics in pediatric illness has been increasingly recognized, but the true impact has not been well delineated. An important study of pediatric inpatient admissions to a children's hospital in 1978 found a genetic basis for disease in just less than half of admitted patients. We sought to update this study in light of current hospitalization practices and new knowledge about genetics. We systematically reviewed the records of 5,747 consecutive admissions (4,224 individuals), representing 98% of patients admitted in 1996 to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (Cleveland, OH). Each patient was assigned to one of five groups on the basis of the presence or absence of an underlying chronic medical condition and whether that condition had a genetic basis or susceptibility. An underlying disorder with a significant genetic component was found in 71% of admitted children. The vast majority (96%) of underlying chronic disorders in children in this study were either clearly genetic or had a genetic susceptibility. Total charges for 1996 were >$62 million, of which $50 million (81%) was accounted for by disorders with a genetic determinant. The 34% of admissions with clearly genetic underlying disorders accounted for 50% (>$31 million) of the total hospital charges. The mean length of stay was 40% longer for individuals with an underlying disease with a genetic basis than for those with no underlying disease. Charges and length of stay were similar for children with underlying chronic disorders, regardless of the cause. This study begins to quantify the enormous impact of genetic disease on inpatient pediatrics and the health care system. Additional study and frank public discourse are needed to understand the implications on the future health care workforce and on the utilization of health care resources.     

Emergence and spread of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a tertiary care hospital in Turkey

An intensive care unit (ICU)-based OXA-23-producing multiple-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) outbreak was detected between October 2005 and October 2006. A total of 47 patients were infected/colonized with the outbreak strain. Clinical data were available from 37 patients. The all-cause mortality rate among the patients exposed to the epidemic strain was 35% (13/37). The outbreak strain and the resistance determinants were characterized both by microbiological methods and by molecular techniques. Cloning and sequencing experiments identified ISAbaI-associated bla(oxa-23) on the chromosome. Screening of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter isolated from the ICU during the outbreak period with PCR identified 97 isolates as positive for the ISAbaI-bla(oxa-23) structure. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and plasmid analyses with selected nonrepetitive isolates revealed the clonality. Disk diffusion on cloxacillin-supplemented agar media and the real-time PCR experiments showed that outbreak isolates are overexpressing the ampC enzyme. This study highlights the occurrence of OXA-23-producing and ampC-overexpressing MDRAB in ICUs.     

Dexrazoxane provided moderate protection in a catecholamine model of severe cardiotoxicity

Positive effects of dexrazoxane (DEX) in anthracycline cardiotoxicity have been mostly assumed to be associated with its iron-chelating properties. However, this explanation has been recently questioned. Iron plays also an important role in the catecholamine cardiotoxicity. Hence in this study, the influence of DEX on a catecholamine model of acute myocardial infarction (100?mg/kg of isoprenaline by subcutaneous injection) was assessed: (i) the effects of an intravenous dose of 20.4?mg/kg were analyzed after 24?h, (ii) the effects were monitored continuously during the first two hours after drug(s) administration to examine the mechanism(s) of cardioprotection. Additional in vitro experiments on iron chelation/reduction and influence on the Fenton chemistry were performed both with isoprenaline/DEX separately and in their combination. DEX partly decreased the mortality, reduced myocardial calcium overload, histological impairment, and peripheral haemodynamic disturbances 24?h after isoprenaline administration. Continuous 2?h experiments showed that DEX did not influence isoprenaline induced atrioventricular blocks and had little effect on the measured haemodynamic parameters. Its protective effects are probably mediated by inhibition of late myocardial impairment and ventricular fibrillation likely due to inhibition of myocardial calcium overload. Complementary in vitro experiments suggested that iron chelation properties of DEX apparently did not play the major role.     

Performance of health workers in the management of seriously sick children at a kenyan tertiary hospital: before and after a training intervention

Background

Implementation of WHO case management guidelines for serious common childhood illnesses remains a challenge in hospitals in low-income countries. The impact of locally adapted clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the quality-of-care of patients in tertiary hospitals has rarely been evaluated.

Methods and Findings

We conducted, in Kenyatta National Hospital, an uncontrolled before and after study with an attempt to explore intervention dose-effect relationships, as CPGs were disseminated and training was progressively implemented. The emergency triage, assessment and treatment plus admission care (ETAT+) training and locally adapted CPGs targeted common, serious childhood illnesses. We compared performance in the pre-intervention (2005) and post-intervention periods (2009) using quality indicators for three diseases: pneumonia, dehydration and severe malnutrition. The indicators spanned four domains in the continuum of care namely assessment, classification, treatment, and follow-up care in the initial 48 hours of admission. In the pre-intervention period patients'' care was largely inconsistent with the guidelines, with nine of the 15 key indicators having performance of below 10%. The intervention produced a marked improvement in guideline adherence with an absolute effect size of over 20% observed in seven of the 15 key indicators; three of which had an effect size of over 50%. However, for all the five indicators that required sustained team effort performance continued to be poor, at less than 10%, in the post-intervention period. Data from the five-year period (2005–09) suggest some dose dependency though the adoption rate of the best-practices varied across diseases and over time.

Conclusion

Active dissemination of locally adapted clinical guidelines for common serious childhood illnesses can achieve a significant impact on documented clinical practices, particularly for tasks that rely on competence of individual clinicians. However, more attention must be given to broader implementation strategies that also target institutional and organisational aspects of service delivery to further enhance quality-of-care.     

Gender differences in self reported long term outcomes following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury

Background  

The majority of research on health outcomes after a traumatic brain injury is focused on male participants. Information examining gender differences in health outcomes post traumatic brain injury is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences in symptoms reported after a traumatic brain injury and to examine the degree to which these symptoms are problematic in daily functioning.     

Diagnosis and treatment of dementia: 4. Approach to management of mild to moderate dementia

Background

The management of mild to moderate dementia presents complex and evolving challenges. Practising physicians are often uncertain about the appropriate approaches to issues such as the disclosure of the diagnosis, driving and caregiver support. In this article, we provide practical guidance on management based on recommendations from the Third Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia.

Methods

We developed evidence-based guidelines using systematic literature searches, with specific criteria for the selection and quality assessment of articles, and a clear and transparent decision-making process. We selected articles published from January 1996 to December 2005 that dealt with the management of mild to moderate stages of Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia. Recommendations based on the literature review were drafted and voted on. Consensus required 80% or more agreement by participants. Subsequent to the conference, we searched for additional articles published from January 2006 to April 2008 using the same major keywords and secondary search terms. We graded the strength of evidence using the criteria of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.

Results

We identified 1615 articles, of which 954 were selected for further study. From a synthesis of the evidence in these studies, we made 48 recommendations for the management of mild to moderate dementia (28) and dementia with a cerebrovascular component (8) as well as recommendations for addressing ethical issues (e.g., disclosure of the diagnosis) (12). The updated literature review did not change these recommendations. In brief, patients and their families should be informed of the diagnosis. Although the specifics of managing comorbid conditions might require modification, standards of care and treatment targets would not change because of a mild dementia. The use of medications with anticholinergic effects should be minimized. There should be proactive planning for driving cessation, since this will be required at some point in the course of progressive dementia. The patient''s ability to drive should be determined primarily on the basis of his or her functional abilities. An important aspect of care is supporting the patient''s primary caregiver.

Interpretation

Much has been learned about the care of patients with mild to moderate dementia and the support of their primary caregivers. There is a pressing need for the development, and dissemination, of collaborative systems of care.

Articles to date in this series

• Chertkow H. Diagnosis and treatment of dementia: Introduction. Introducing a series based on the Third Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia. CMAJ 2008;178:316-21.
• Patterson C, Feightner JW, Garcia A, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of dementia: 1. Risk assessment and primary prevention of Alzheimer disease. CMAJ 2008;178:548-56.
• Feldman HH, Jacova C, Robillard A, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of dementia: 2. Diagnosis. CMAJ 2008;178:825-36.
• Chertkow H, Massoud F, Nasreddine Z, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of dementia: 3. Mild cognitive impairment and cognitive impairment without dementia. CMAJ 2008;178: 1273-85.

     

Quarantine – Phytosanitary, sanitary and incursion management: an Australian entomological perspective

Abstract   Insects challenge our international and interstate borders continually both by natural movement and by human assisted means. Insects are highly motile with a vast array of sensory organs that enable them to disperse and find hosts, hence they cause significant problems when introductions into new areas occur. A broad range of entomological skills, including ecology, diagnostics and pest management, is required to manage the quarantine, phytosanitary and incursion issues related to insects. These provide input into the regulatory framework and form a scientific basis for decision-making processes. Phytosanitary measures are developed with scientific input, whereas the application of them is in a regulatory and legal environment.     

Historical trends in the epidemiology of candidaemia: analysis of an 11-year period in a tertiary care hospital in Brazil

Candida species are an important cause of bloodstream infections (BSI). To evaluate the epidemiological, clinical and microbiological aspects of two cohorts {1994-1999 [period 1 (P1) ]; 2000-2004 [period 2 (P2) ]} of candidaemic patients, we performed a retrospective analysis from a laboratory-based survey. A total of 388 candidaemias were identified, with an incidence of 0.20/1,000 patient-days and a significant increase in P2 vs. P1 (0.25 vs. 0.15, p = 0.04). Cancer and prior antibiotic use were frequent and Candida albicans was the most prevalent species found (42.4%). Resistance to fluconazole was found in 2.47% of the strains. No differences were observed in the species distribution of Candida during the study periods. In the P2 cohort, there were higher prevalence of elderly individuals, cardiac, pulmonary and liver diseases, renal failure, central venous catheters and antibiotic therapy. In P1, there were higher prevalence of neurological diseases and chemotherapy. The crude mortality was 55.4%. In conclusion, our incidence rates remained high. Furthermore, the distribution pattern of Candida species and the fluconazole resistance profile remained unchanged. Moreover, we found a clear trend of higher prevalence of candidaemia among the elderly and among patients with comorbidities. Finally, it is necessary to discuss strategies for the prevention and control of Candida BSI in Brazil.     

澳大利亚外来入侵物种管理策略及对我国的借鉴意义

澳大利亚是一个岛状大陆,海洋运输业十分发达,通过贸易,旅游,运输等途径有意或无间引进有害外来物种的风险较大。澳大利亚政府高度重视外来入侵物种的管理工作,制定了《澳大利亚国家生物多样性保护策略》,针对外来杂草和通过压舱水载入的海洋外来入侵物种的管理制定了《国家杂草策略》,《杂草风险评价系统》和《压舱水指南》等法规和技术性文件,加强了对外来入侵物种的管理。本文简要介绍了澳大利亚外来入侵物种管理的有关策略和指南,并提出了我国在外来入侵物种管理方面的对策建议;（1）尽快建立相应的法规体系,实现外来入侵物种的依法管理;（2）加强机构建设,形成多部门的协调管理机制;（3）加强外来入侵物种管理制度的建设;（4）采取适当的引进预防,消除,控制和恢复措施;（5）开展科学研究,为外来入侵物种的管理提供科学依据;（6）制定教育和培训计划,提高公众意识。