Quality of life after rectal resection for cancer, with or without permanent colostomy.

Background: For almost one hundred years abdominoperineal excision has been the standard treatment of choice for rectal cancer. With advances in the techniques for rectal resection and anastomosis, anterior resection with preservation of the sphincter function has become the preferred treatment for rectal cancers, except for those cancers very close to the anal sphincter. The main reason for this has been the conviction that the quality of life for patients with a colostomy after abdominoperineal excision was poorer than for patients undergoing a sphincter-preserving technique.

Quality of life after rectal resection for cancer, with or without permanent colostomy.

Background: For almost one hundred years abdominoperineal excision has been the standard treatment of choice for rectal cancer. With advances in the techniques for rectal resection and anastomosis, anterior resection with preservation of the sphincter function has become the preferred treatment for rectal cancers, except for those cancers very close to the anal sphincter. The main reason for this has been the conviction that the quality of life for patients with a colostomy after abdominoperineal excision was poorer than for patients undergoing a sphincter-preserving technique.

[Mortality of anorexia nervosa in Denmark 1970-1987].

Eight hundred and fifty-three patients were admitted to psychiatric institutions in Denmark with anorexia nervosa between 1970 and 1986. Based on register information, 50 deaths were recorded during a mean follow-up period of 7.8 years.

[Knowledge, attitude and behavior among patients with Chlamydia. Perspectives for prevention].

Patients with chlamydial infections (Ct) attending the outpatient Venereal Disease Clinic of Copenhagen from July 1-November 30 1995 were asked to fill in a questionnaire focusing upon knowledge, attitude and behaviour related to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in order to strengthen the future prevention of Ct. The questionnaire was answered by 37 men and 35 women with a median age of 27 and 21 years and a median number of three and two sexual partners within the last six months, respectively. Half of the patients had previously had an STD, and 92% had been tested for HIV, of whom one homosexual man was known HIV-positive.

[Activated protein C resistance in patients with venous leg ulcer].

Patients with venous leg ulcers often show evidence of previous deep venous thrombosis. Resistance to activated protein C (APC-resistance) is an autosomal dominant inherited defect in the anticoagulant system which is a significant risk factor for development of venous thrombosis. APC-resistance was determined in plasma samples obtained from 46 unselected, consecutively admitted patients with venous leg ulcers, included during a six-month period.