Differences in triage and medical confidentiality between prisons of Belgium and the Netherlands.

: The aim of this study is to describe the opinions of prison doctors, and to compare the primary health care in prisons between Belgium and the Netherlands.: Structured interviews, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, were conducted with prison doctors in Dutch-speaking prisons in Flanders/Belgium and in the Netherlands. Two investigators analysed the content of the interviews and discussed each individual interview.

Effects of Whole Body Vibration in Patients With COPD.

Background: Whole body vibration training (WBVT) improves muscle force in healthy subjects. Resistance training (RT) is an important component of a pulmonary program.

Aim: To investigate the effects of either 12 weeks WBVT or RT, both provided after 15 min of aerobic training as warming up.

Internal Spermatic Vein Insufficiency in Varicoceles: A Different Entity in Adults and Adolescents?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether phlebographic features can be used to discriminate adult from adolescent varicocele.

Materials And Methods: Left and right internal spermatic venograms of 191 adolescents (< 17 years) and 224 adults (≥ 25 years) were anonymized and evaluated. Phlebographic radioanatomic features (valves, duplications, collaterals, and classifications) were compared and analyzed with univariate tests.

Rehabilitation in patients with radically treated respiratory cancer: A randomised controlled trial comparing two training modalities.

Introduction: The evidence on the effectiveness of rehabilitation in lung cancer patients is limited. Whole body vibration (WBV) has been proposed as an alternative to conventional resistance training (CRT).

Methods: We investigated the effect of radical treatment (RT) and of two rehabilitation programmes in lung cancer patients.

Tolerance of glue embolization under local anesthesia in varicoceles: a comparative study of two different cyanoacrylates.

Purpose: To find out whether in varicocele embolization the copolymer cyanoacrylate glue (NBCA-MS) has a better patient tolerance compared to the monomer n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA).

Materials And Methods: N=112 insufficient spermatic veins (left sided N=84, right sided N=28) diagnosed in N=83 adult males were prospectively randomized for blinded embolization with either NBCA N=54 (Histoacryl) or with NBCA-MS N=58 (Glubran2). Before, during and up to one week after embolization, patient discomfort was assessed by a standardized pain scale.

Evaluation of clinical pharmacist recommendations in the geriatric ward of a Belgian university hospital.

Objective: To evaluate the type, acceptance rate, and clinical relevance of clinical pharmacist recommendations at the geriatric ward of the Ghent university hospital.

Methods: The clinical pharmacist evaluated drug use during a weekly 2-hour visit for a period of 4 months and, if needed, made recommendations to the prescribing physician. The recommendations were classified according to type, acceptance by the physician, prescribed medication, and underlying drug-related problem.

Azithromycin for prevention of exacerbations in severe asthma (AZISAST): a multicentre randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Patients with severe asthma are at increased risk of exacerbations and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). Severe asthma is heterogeneous, encompassing eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic (mainly neutrophilic) phenotypes. Patients with neutropilic airway diseases may benefit from macrolides.

Measuring the nursing workload per shift in the ICU.

Purpose: In the intensive care unit (ICU) different strategies and workload measurement tools exist to indicate the number of nurses needed. The gathered information is always focused on manpower needed per 24 h. However, a day consists of several shifts, which may be unequal in nursing workload.

Predicting urinary creatinine excretion and its usefulness to identify incomplete 24 h urine collections.

Studies using 24 h urine collections need to incorporate ways to validate the completeness of the urine samples. Models to predict urinary creatinine excretion (UCE) have been developed for this purpose; however, information on their usefulness to identify incomplete urine collections is limited. We aimed to develop a model for predicting UCE and to assess the performance of a creatinine index using para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) as a reference.

Efficacy and safety of two different n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylates for the embolization of varicoceles: a prospective, randomized, blinded study.

Purpose: This was a prospective, randomized, blinded comparative study of the efficacy and safety of two different n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylates (NBCAs) for embolization of varicoceles.

Methods: A total of 112 insufficient spermatic veins (left-sided, n=84; right-sided, n=28) that were diagnosed in 83 adult males were prospectively randomized for blinded embolization with NBCA (n=54; Histoacryl, Braun, Germany) or NBCA-MS (n=58; Glubran2, General Enterprise Marketing, Viareggio, Lucca, Italy). Handling, embolic efficacy, and safety of both NBCAs were compared according the fulfillment of a standardized embolization plan, the occlusive effect on the spermatic vein, and the sticking to the microcatheter.

The use of hypnosedative drugs in a university hospital: has anything changed in 10 years?

Aim: Our goal was to investigate the use of hypnosedatives (HSs) before and during hospitalization, explore the relationship between their use and various demographic and clinical variables, and compare the results with data from a similar 2000 study with particular interest in adherence to hospital formulary guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational survey of 326 hospitalized patients recruited from ten wards of the Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium, with a patient interview and by evaluating medical and nursing files.

Results: In 30.

What do standard radiography and clinical examination tell about the shoulder with cuff tear arthropathy?

Background: This study evaluates the preoperative conventional anteroposterior radiography and clinical testing in non-operated patients with cuff tear arthropathy. It analyses the radiological findings in relation to the status of the rotator cuff and clinical status as also the clinical testing in relation to the rotator cuff quality. The aim of the study is to define the usefulness of radiography and clinical examination in cuff tear arthropathy.

Citrulline levels in a paediatric age group: does measurement on dried blood spots have additional value?

Background: Citrulline is considered to be a marker of absorptive enterocyte mass. Citrulline levels can be measured in plasma or dried blood spot (DBS) samples. The purpose of this study is to calculate reference intervals for plasma and DBS citrulline concentrations in children and to examine the effect of age and gender.

Seizures and epilepsy in patients with a posterior circulation infarct.

Seizures occur mainly in patients with cortical infarcts in the anterior circulation. Those related to a posterior circulation infarct (POCI) are considered rare. This study investigated the characteristics of patients with seizures related to a POCI.

Radiographic analysis of extracorporeally irradiated autografts.

Objective: To analyse the long-term radiographic findings of intercalary, pure osteoarticular, and composite bone grafts in patients with primary bone sarcoma who were treated by reimplantation of the bone as an orthotopic autograft.

Materials And Methods: For this observational clinical study, 107 patients who presented with 108 malignant or locally aggressive benign bone tumours were treated by resection, extracorporeal irradiation (300 Gy), and reimplantation and fixation of the autograft. Bone healing features were evaluated with the International Society of Limb Salvage (ISOLS) graft evaluation method, which assesses fusion, resorption, fracture, graft shortening, fixation, subluxation, joint narrowing, and subchondral bone.

Extracorporeally irradiated autografts for the treatment of bone tumours: tips and tricks.

We retrospectively reviewed 107 patients with 108 malignant or locally aggressive bone tumours treated between 1978 and 2009 by extracorporeal irradiation with 300 Gy to eradicate the tumour, and reimplantation of the bone as an orthotopic autograft. Patient subgroups were defined according to resection type. We describe the local recurrence rate, the graft infection rate and the factors affecting graft healing and graft survival.

Introducing telemonitoring for diabetic patients: development of a telemonitoring 'Health Effect and Readiness' Questionnaire.

Purpose: Till now no validated instrument exists to measure the readiness and attitude of diabetic patients towards the use of telemonitoring. The purpose of the described study was to develop a Telemonitoring Attitude and Readiness Questionnaire and to check its validity and reliability.

Methods: After performing in-depth interviews in two separate sessions, the Telemonitoring Attitude and Readiness Questionnaire was completed by a convenience sample of 138 patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to determine internal consistency.

Stroke in patients with migraine.

Background And Purpose: Migraine with aura (MA) is considered as a risk factor for ischaemic stroke. The present observational retrospective study compares migraine patients admitted for a documented stroke with those presenting focal neurological symptoms and headache without a demonstrable lesion and in which the final diagnosis was a migraine attack with aura.

Material And Methods: The study included 14 migraine patients with a stroke and 37 without a stroke.

Factors associated with failure of surface-modified implants up to four years of function.

Objectives: The relative impact of innovative treatment concepts on the failure of surface-modified implants is not well understood. This retrospective study aimed to explore this using data obtained in a university postgraduate training center.

Material And Methods: Patients treated with implants for a variety of indications over a 3-year period were included.

Predictability of cerebral palsy and its characteristics through neonatal cranial ultrasound in a high-risk NICU population.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the predictive value of various types of brain injury detected by ultrasound in the neonatal period for the occurrence of cerebral palsy and its characteristics in a large cohort of high-risk infants. Thousand twenty-one consecutively NICU-admitted high-risk infants were assessed up to the corrected age of at least 2 years. Cerebral palsy (CP) was categorised into spastic or non-spastic, bilateral or unilateral and mild, moderate or severe CP.

Medication administration in nursing homes: pharmacists' contribution to error prevention.

Background: The elderly use a large number of medications, which exposes them to an increased risk for medication-related errors, especially in nursing homes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of an educational session addressing good medication administration practices on the medication administration error rate in 2 nursing homes.

Method: A before-after study was performed, comparing outcome measurements 1 month before and 1 month after implementation of a formal training session on "good medication administration principles.

Implementation of guidelines for sequential therapy with fluoroquinolones in a Belgian hospital.

Objective: This study measured the impact of three interventions for physicians, in order to implement guidelines for sequential therapy (intravenous to oral conversion) with fluoroquinolones.

Setting: A Belgian university hospital with 1,065 beds. Method The first intervention consisted of the hospital-wide publication of guidelines in the local drug letter towards all prescribers.

Acute ischemic stroke treatment and the occurrence of seizures.

Background And Objectives: Early intravenous treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) improves the outcome of patients with an acute ischemic stroke. This retrospective observational study analyses whether rt-PA treatment also prevents the occurrence of early- and late-onset seizures.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-eight patients treated with rt-PA were compared to 269 receiving anticoagulants (ACs) and 769 on antithrombotics (ATs) for an acute cardiac- or thrombo-embolic stroke.

Predictive factors for outcome of invasive video-EEG monitoring and subsequent resective surgery in patients with refractory epilepsy.

Objective: This is a descriptive study of patients who underwent invasive video-EEG monitoring (IVEM) at Ghent University Hospital. The aim of the study is to identify predictive factors for outcome of IVEM and resective surgery (RS). These factors may optimize the patient flow following the non-invasive presurgical evaluation towards IVEM and RS or other treatments.

The higher the educational level of the first-time mother, the lower the fetal and post-neonatal but not the neonatal mortality in Belgium (Flanders).

Objective: To assess, in a homogenous population of primiparous women, how fetal and infant (=first year of life) mortality varied by the mothers' level of education.

Study Design: We conducted an observational study in Flanders (Northern Belgium) involving 170,948 primiparous women who delivered in Flanders during the period 1999-2006, and their 174,495 babies. We linked the maternal education (3 levels) with a series of obstetrical and perinatal events, with special emphasis on fetal and infant death.