Diagnostic utility of unenhanced computed tomography for acute aortic syndrome.

Background: The diagnostic value of unenhanced computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing acute aortic dissection (AAD) and ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We examined 219 consecutive patients who visited the emergency room with suspected acute aortic syndrome (AAS) because of chest or back pain and who underwent both unenhanced and contrast-enhanced 64-row multi-detector CT. The unenhanced CT findings were evaluated by the cardiologist on duty who was blind to the findings of contrast-enhanced CT.

[Usefulness of a manual on physician behavior at the time of death confirmation].

The behavior of a physician when confirming the death of a patient is thought to greatly affect the bereaved family. The required aspects of a physician's behavior after a patient's death are rarely included in physician education. Therefore, the few physicians who confirm the death of a patient should be conscious of the grief of the family members.

Measurement of HRQL using EQ-5D in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan.

Objectives: We measured the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of diabetes mellitus patients using the Japanese version of EQ-5D, and examined the relationship between clinical condition and health status.

Methods: A study was conducted on 220 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at a hospital in Saitama Prefecture on the day of their visit from November 17 to December 24, 1998. Patients evaluated their health status using five dimensions (5D) and a visual analog scale (VAS).