Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Risk Factors for Non-recording of Alcohol Use in Hospitals across Europe: The ALCHIMIE Study.

Aim: To determine the detection rates, clinical features, and risk factors for lack of registration of alcohol use in medical patients admitted in European hospitals.

Methods: A point-prevalence, cross-sectional, multicenter survey involving 2100 medical inpatients from 43 hospitals from 8 European countries. Patients were screened for current alcohol use, using standardized questionnaires.

Temporal and spatial patterns in the rate of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in a defined community.

There is a paucity of data about the epidemiology of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) and, particularly, with regard to temporal trends and sociodemographic factors. This study included 7,195 episodes of AWS in a defined community (Galicia, Spain) over a 11-year period. We looked for geographical correlations between AWS rate and sociodemographic factors (education and socioeconomic levels and rates of occupational activity and unemployment) within respective districts.

Prevalence and routine assessment of unhealthy alcohol use in hospitalized patients.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of alcohol misuse among medical inpatients and the methods used by medical staff to evaluate alcohol consumption.

Methods: Multicenter, prospective, observational, cross-sectional study performed at 21 hospitals in Spain. All adult patients hospitalized in internal medicine wards on 12 March 2008 were eligible for study.

Body mass index and outcome in patients with coronary, cerebrovascular, or peripheral artery disease: findings from the FRENA registry.

Background: The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in patients with established arterial disease remains controversial.

Methods: FRENA is an ongoing, observational registry of consecutive outpatients with coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral artery disease (PAD). We examined the prognostic importance of accepted BMI categories on outcome among patients in the FRENA registry.

Co-infection by Streptococcus anginosus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis: three case reports.

Introduction: Bacterial infections may appear as sequelae of remote tuberculous infections, especially thoracic infections. The simultaneous appearance of tuberculosis and bacterial infection is not common, and, to our knowledge, the association of infection by Streptococcus anginosus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis has not been reported previously in the literature.

Case Presentation: We report three cases of dual infection with Streptococcus anginosus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that were first diagnosed as pyogenic abscesses because of an isolation of Streptococcus anginosus.

[Value of the ankle-brachial index in cardiovascular risk stratification of patients without known atherotrombotic disease. MERITO study].

Background And Objectives: Peripheral arterial disease detected by measurement of ankle-brachial index enables the identification of asymptomatic patients with target organ damage. We have investigated the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (ankle-brachial index < 0.9), and its potential clinical-therapeutic impact, in patients without known atherotrombotic disease from internal medicine practices.