A systematic approach towards the development of quality indicators for postnatal care after discharge in Flanders, Belgium.

Objective: to develop a set of quality indicators for postnatal care after discharge from the hospital, using a systematic approach.

Design: key elements of qualitative postnatal care were defined by performing a systematic review and the literature was searched for potential indicators (step 1). The potential indicators were evaluated by five criteria (validity, reliability, sensitivity, feasibility and acceptability) and by making use of the 'Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation', the AIRE-instrument (step 2).

Overview of the Belgian donor and transplant statistics 2006: results of consecutive yearly data follow-up by the Belgian Section of Transplant Coordinators.

Background: The Belgian Section of Transplant Coordinators, created in 1997 under the auspices of the Belgian Transplant Society, is in charge of the collection of the national data about donor/procurement activities.

Methods: Data are collected in all Belgian transplant centers. An annual report is finalized by combining these data with data from the Eurotransplant database.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy delays heart transplantation in patients with end-stage heart failure and mechanical dyssynchrony.

Background: Cardiac dyssynchrony is frequent in advanced heart failure, and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) may offer an alternative to heart transplantation. We aimed to investigate the impact of CRT on freedom from Tx and death in transplant candidates with end-stage heart failure.

Methods: Over a period of 2 years, 46 consecutive patients with refractory congestive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy were referred for heart transplant evaluation.

Avascular necrosis of the carpal scaphoid: Preiser's disease: report of 6 cases and review of the literature.

Six cases of nontraumatic avascular necrosis of the scaphoid are reported. Two cases were due to chronic steroid intake with several other sites of bone necrosis; for the other 4 cases no etiology could be established. Four were treated with a proximal row carpectomy, 3 with a very satisfying result, whereas one had to be converted into a wrist arthrodesis.