Validity assessment of the disabilities of arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire (DASH) for patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To determine whether patients' perception of their functional ability, as measured by the disabilities of arm, shoulder. and hand (DASH) questionnaire, correlates with clinical measures of articular status in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: Patients attending the University of Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Clinic between June and August 1997 were asked to complete a DASH questionnaire during their visits.

Patterns of prescribing ACE inhibitors after myocardial infarction.

We attempted to determine physician prescribing patterns of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients who experienced a myocardial infarction, stratified by left ventricular function. We retrospectively reviewed drug therapy at discharge in 534 patients to assess prescription of ACE inhibitor therapy, including dosage. Thirty-four percent of patients were discharged taking an ACE inhibitor, of whom only 11% received recommended dosages.

Reducing the deleterious effects of intrauterine CO2 during fetoscopic surgery.

The fetoscopic approach to fetal intervention is a promising minimally invasive technique for correcting congenital anomalies in utero. However, expansion of the amniotic cavity with CO2 to visualize the fetus causes fetal hypercarbia and acidosis. We assessed whether maternal hyperventilation during intrauterine CO2 insufflation could attenuate the fetal hypercarbic acidosis.