Social and medical vulnerability factors of emergency department frequent users in a universal health insurance system.

Objectives: The objectives were to identify the social and medical factors associated with emergency department (ED) frequent use and to determine if frequent users were more likely to have a combination of these factors in a universal health insurance system.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review case-control study comparing randomized samples of frequent users and nonfrequent users at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland. The authors defined frequent users as patients with four or more ED visits within the previous 12 months.

Early mobilization out of bed after ischaemic stroke reduces severe complications but not cerebral blood flow: a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Objective: To evaluate whether early mobilization after acute ischaemic stroke is better than delayed mobilization with regard to medical complications and if it is safe in relation to neurological function and cerebral blood flow.

Design: Randomized controlled pilot trial of early versus delayed mobilization out of bed with incidence of severe complications as the primary outcome.

Setting: Acute stroke unit in the neurology department of a University Hospital.