Shared care for hearing complaints: guideline effects on patient flow.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: A national guideline was proposed to enable shared care in hearing complaints and therefore to change patient flows. In this study the effect of this guideline is evaluated.

Methods: From a total of 3500 patients with hearing complaints, consulting the Ear Nose and Throat Department of a large non-university hospital in the Netherlands in 2002, a random sample of 1000 patients was selected.

Help-seeking behaviour of hearing-impaired persons aged > or = 55 years; effect of complaints, significant others and hearing aid image.

Objective: To determine factors influencing help-seeking behaviour in hearing-impaired persons aged > or = 55 years

Material And Methods: The study comprised 1,419 persons (480 females, 939 males) aged > or = 55 years who participated voluntarily in a driving test. Pure-tone audiometry was performed in all subjects. Participants without a hearing aid with an average hearing loss of > or = 30 dB in the better ear for the frequencies 0.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus as the initial presentation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

The case history of a 61-year-old male patient is described, who presented with severe stomatitis, conjunctivitis and leukocytosis. The diagnosis chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) stage A (0) was made, for which no treatment was necessary. Progression of stomatitis and conjunctivitis and erythosquamous skin lesions with bullae and vesiculae formation developed.

Definition of hearing impairment and its effect on prevalence figures. A survey among senior citizens.

In order to explain the variation found in the literature, this article describes how the definition of hearing impairment affects reported prevalence when applied to the same population. The study comprised 1041 persons (354 women, 687 men) aged 55 years or older (mean age 67 years, SD 7 years). Pure tone audiometry was performed on all subjects.

Long-term sleep deprivation as a game. The wear and tear of wakefulness.

We report here the first sleep deprivation study done on a group of 5 healthy students (1 female, 4 males, 23-24 years of age) while playing a game (Triviant). In 2 persons an EEG was recorded for 6 consecutive 24 h periods with an ambulatory monitor from the baseline night until 72 h after deprivation. The baseline night showed normal hypnograms.