Articles: outcome.
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The purpose of this study was to determine if marital status, including specific types of single status categories, is associated with length of survival in lung cancer patients. ⋯ Our study demonstrated that married or widowed lung cancer patients have better survival compared to patients who were never married or separated/divorced. Research to understand the mechanism of this effect, and how the beneficial effect can be extended to those who have never married or have had the marital relationship severed through divorce or separation is needed.
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ABSTRACTObjectives:Current guidelines emphasize that emergency department (ED) patients at low risk for potential ischemic chest pain cannot be discharged without extensive investigations or hospitalization to minimize the risk of missing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We sought to derive and validate a prediction rule that permitted 20 to 30% of ED patients without ACS safely to be discharged within 2 hours without further provocative cardiac testing. Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled 1,669 chest pain patients in two blocks in 2000-2003 (development cohort) and 2006 (validation cohort). ⋯ The validation of the rule was limited by the lack of consistency in data capture, incomplete follow-up, and lack of evaluation of the accuracy, comfort, and clinical sensibility of this clinical decision rule. Conclusion:The Vancouver Chest Pain Rule may identify a cohort of ED chest pain patients who can be safely discharged within 2 hours without provocative cardiac testing. Further validation across other centres with consistent application and comprehensive and uniform follow-up of all eligible and enrolled patients, in addition to measuring and reporting the accuracy of and comfort level with applying the rule and the clinical sensibility, should be completed prior to adoption and implementation.
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The outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may depend on a variety of factors related to patient status or resuscitation management. To evaluate the factors influencing the outcome of CPR after cardiac arrest (CA) will be conducive to improve the effectiveness of resuscitation. Therefore, a study was designed to assess these factors in the emergency department (ED) of a city hospital. ⋯ Shockable rhythms, CPR duration ≤15 minutes and total adrenaline dose ≤5 mg were favorable predictors of ROSC, whereas traumatic etiology was unfavorable. Cardiac etiology, shockable rhythms and CPR duration ≤15 minutes were favorable predictors of 24-hour survival, whereas traumatic etiology was unfavorable. Cardiac etiology, shockable rhythms, CPR duration ≤15 minutes were favorable predictors of survival to discharge and neurologically favorable survival to discharge, but previous terminal illness or multiple organ failure (MOF) was unfavorable.
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ABSTRACTObjective:To determine whether a nursing intervention delivered at emergency department (ED) discharge would reduce ED revisits. Method:A randomized study was conducted in the ED of a tertiary cardiac hospital in Montreal, Quebec. Between November 2006 and March 2010, 3,795 patients were assessed for eligibility based on two risk factors for ED revisits (≥ 1 ED visit in the past year and ≥ 6 medications); 132 were randomized to the experimental group (EG) and 133 to the control group (CG). ⋯ The only difference identified was a lower hospitalization proportion at 180 days in the EG group (13.6% v. 24.1%; p = 0.038). Conclusions:These findings are consistent with previous research showing that few ED-based interventions are successful in reducing ED returns. Factors other than those targeted by the intervention, including an improvement in usual care, may explain the findings.
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The purpose of this 2-year retrospective study is to compare the outcomes of patients with either surgical clipping or endovascular coiling treatment for ruptured anterior circulation cerebral aneurysms. We enrolled 100 patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage resulting from ruptured anterior circulation cerebral aneurysms. We reviewed the demographic information, operative details, and image examinations including computed tomography (CT), digital subtraction angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging of brains. ⋯ There was no intergroup difference in the following results: symptomatic or radiographic vasospasm, post-treat rebleeding, and recurrence of aneurysms. Although the incidences of unfavorable outcome at the end of follow-up were 32.0% and 27.0% in the clipping and coiling group respectively, it revealed no significant difference (p = 0.202). In dealing with the patients with ruptured anterior circulation cerebral aneurysms, our results provide helpful information when discussing projected outcome before surgical or endovascular treatment.