Diagnostic frequency, response to therapy, and long-term prognosis among horses and ponies with pituitary par intermedia dysfunction, 1993-2004.

Background: Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is common in older horses.

Objectives: To determine diagnosis frequency, prognostic factors, long-term survival, and owner satisfaction with treatment.

Animals: Medical records from horses diagnosed with PPID, 1993-2004.

Impact of patient communication problems on the risk of preventable adverse events in acute care settings.

Background: Up to 50% of adverse events that occur in hospitals are preventable. Language barriers and disabilities that affect communication have been shown to decrease quality of care. We sought to assess whether communication problems are associated with an increased risk of preventable adverse events.

Parental reaction and adaptability to the prenatal diagnosis of fetal defect or genetic disease leading to pregnancy interruption.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychological reaction of two groups of parents to a pregnancy termination after they had undergone a prenatal diagnostic procedure. The analysis involved interviews with a study group of 76 patients who were at risk of giving birth to a child with a genetic disease or defect and a comparison group of 124 who had a pregnancy termination after a major anomaly had been detected by routine ultrasound and who were not at known risk for a genetic disease. Only patients in the study group had received counselling before the prenatal diagnosis and were aware that the fetus could be affected.

Necrotic stenosis of the right colon secondary to acute pancreatitis.

The authors report the case of a 52-year-old man who had stenosis and necrosis of the right colon secondary to acute pancreatitis. The right colon is a very uncommon location for this complication. The site of the stenosis was documented by contrast enema examination and computed tomography.

A celebration of cultures in a long-term care facility. A day of cultural awareness may help staff and residents forge stronger relationships through greater understanding.

Cultural interaction is older than the spice route. Groups of people require little encouragement to share "how we do things back home," as well as favorite foods, customs, and beliefs. This interchange is important in decreasing myths and stereotypes that occur between cultures.