[Deficits in Health-Literacy of Inpatients - a Cross-Sectional Study].

Introduction: Systematic investigations of health literacy in German patients are rare and mostly based on subjective self-assessment.

Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, 196 patients (female 38 %, male 62 %) in medical and surgical units were asked to complete a questionnaire that we had developed for this purpose. This questionnaire contained 43 questions about common medical terms.

Sorin Bicarbon bileaflet valve: a 9.8-year experience. Clinical performance of the prosthesis after heart valve replacement in 587 patients.

Objectives: To determine early and mid-term clinical performance of the Sorin Bicarbon bileaflet prosthesis.

Methods: Between January 1993 and October 2000, 1092 patients received at least one Sorin Bicarbon prosthesis. Six hundred and fourteen of those fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were contacted by mail and/or telephone interview.