Depression, screening and quality of life in chronic kidney disease.

Introduction: To determine the prevalence of positive screens for depression and to assess quality of life (QoL) and usefulness of the brief and easily administered Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) for depression screening in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population; and to explore the relationship between depressive symptoms and markers of inflammation.

Methods: Seventy-one adult patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m or proteinuria, but not on dialysis, were enrolled.

Managing chronic heart failure patient in chronic kidney disease.

Management of systolic heart failure can be particularly challenging in patients with chronic kidney disease, especially those who are not yet receiving dialysis. Few clinical trials have been performed in this particular population, so management is directed by evidence from studies of patients with limited or no renal impairment. Their heightened risk for many treatment complications mandates additional considerations regarding drug selection, dosing, and monitoring.

Evaluation of a falls prevention programme in an acute tertiary care hospital.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate a systematic, coordinated approach to limit the severity and minimize the number of falls in an acute care hospital.

Background: Patient falls are a significant cause of preventable injury and death, particularly in older patients. Best practice principles mandate that hospitals identify those patients at risk of falling and implement interventions to prevent or minimize them.