Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi / Hong Kong Academy of Medicine
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For diagnosing neuropathic pain, a simple 6-item patient-completed identification pain questionnaire has been validated among Caucasians. We aimed to study the validity and reliability of this questionnaire among Hong Kong Chinese patients. ⋯ The Chinese Identification Pain Questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale that may be used as an initial diagnostic tool for neuropathic pain among Hong Kong Chinese patients.
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Hospital accreditation is a new concept for Hong Kong Hospital Authority hospitals. Queen Mary Hospital has been engaged as one of the hospitals in a territory-wide Pilot Scheme of Hospital Accreditation. In preparation for accreditation, Queen Mary Hospital has undergone the process of self-assessment, staff engagement, and service improvements which all require well-planned strategies to achieve successful outcomes. ⋯ We also highlight the obstacles, conundrums, and pitfalls we encountered, along with successful overcoming strategies and countermeasures we adopted, and quandaries to be avoided. Throughout the preparation, the hospital's senior executives insisted that achieving hospital accreditation was not the main focus, but rather an emphasis on how the Pilot Scheme would bring about organisational transformations in our culture, and thus foster quality, safety, effectiveness, and reliability of services. We hope our experience can provide a reference and be of value to other hospitals that will go through the journey in the future.
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Comment Letter
Thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke is evidence-based.
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This is a retrospective review of the clinico-radiological features and neurological outcomes of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome episodes in Chinese cancer children receiving chemotherapy in a regional hospital in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2008. Five children (3 males and 2 females) with a mean age of 7 years were identified, four of whom had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and one had a central nervous system germ cell tumour. Presenting symptoms included seizures (100%), altered mental function (100%), headache (40%), and visual disturbance (60%). ⋯ The clinico-radiological features and neurological outcomes were similar to those reported in western series. Early recognition of the syndrome is important to facilitate appropriate treatment. The central nervous system damage may not be reversible and thus long-term follow-up is warranted.