Outbreak of COVID-19 at three nursing homes in Bergen.

Background: Nursing home residents are generally old and frail, and at high risk that COVID-19 will take a serious course. Outbreaks of COVID-19 have not previously been described in Norway, and it is important to identify mechanisms for spread of the infection and course of disease for nursing home residents with this pandemic disease.

Material And Method: We included residents from three nursing homes with outbreaks of COVID-19 in a retrospective observational study, and we retrieved information on the number of staff for whom SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed or who were placed in quarantine.

[Emergency admissions from nursing homes to hospital at the end of life].

Background: Admissions from nursing homes to hospital at the end of life have not been previously studied in Norway. The goal of this project was to document acute admissions to a Norwegian hospital for patients who died within 48 hours after hospitalization.

Material And Methods: This study is based on information recorded in patient charts for admissions to Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen in the period 1.

Utilisation of specialist care in patients with incurable rectal cancer. a population-based study from Western Norway.

Introduction: About 25% of patients with rectal cancer have incurable disease at the time of diagnosis. In the current study from Western Norway (population of 981 000) we focused on the utilisation of specialist care in patients with primarily incurable rectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: Between 1997 and 2002, 1 167 patients were diagnosed with rectal cancer, of whom 297 (25%) had incurable disease, according to consecutive and prospective reporting to the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry.

[The dying patient].

All doctors in clinical practice have to face dying patients. In order to give help to the patient and his nearest family, the doctor needs knowledge about the dying process and how to relieve suffering. Based on relevant literature and own clinical experience, we discuss the challenges of identifying the terminal phase, ethical issues concerning medical treatment, and how to offer adequate symptom relief.