Cocoon vaccination for influenza in patients with a solid tumor: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Oncological patients are susceptible to various severe viral infections, including influenza. Vaccinating oncological patients and their household contacts ("cocoon vaccination") may protect these patients from contracting influenza. To understand the potential of cocoon vaccination in oncological patients, this study assesses the influenza vaccination status of oncological patients and their household contacts and their considerations regarding the vaccination. METHODS: In this retrospective study, oncological patients with a solid tumor were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their own and their household contacts' influenza vaccination status in the influenza season of 2018-2019. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients were included (response rate 88%). The influenza vaccination rates of oncological patients and their first household contacts were 43.9% and 44.9%, respectively. The majority of vaccinated patients and vaccinated first household contacts had been advised by their general practitioner to get the vaccination. A minority of the first household contacts reported getting vaccinated specifically because of the patient's vulnerability. Unvaccinated patients and unvaccinated household contacts mainly believed the vaccination was unnecessary or were afraid of side effects. None of the included patients had been hospitalized with influenza. CONCLUSION: The oncological patients' and first household contacts' vaccination rates in this study were lower than the vaccination rates of the general Dutch population of over 60 years old, possibly due to a lack of knowledge and misconceptions about the vaccination. Further research is required to establish whether cocoon vaccination can contribute to protecting oncological patients from contracting an influenza infection.

[Falls: incidence and risk factors after stroke. A systematic literature review]. / Vallen: incidentie en risicofactoren bij patiënten met een beroerte. Een systematisch literatuuronderzoek.

Falls are common after stroke. This article presents a literature review of the incidence and risk factors of falls and the consequences for professionals working with stroke patients. It is important to consider the specific problems after stroke. Depression and cognitive impairments were found to be risk factors for fall incidents after stroke. In the relevant literature many different risk factors and circumstances are described. When patients move from bed to chair, walk to the bathroom and the first few days after the patient is discharged to another setting, - all these circumstances showed high percentages of falling. A fall during hospital stay is a significant risk factor for future fall incidents. A reliable index to measure the fall risk is not (yet) available. But scores on the Barthel Index and the Timed-Up-and-Go test can be used as fall risk indicators. Fear of falling is an important complication after a fall and therefore it is recommended prior to discharge to inquire about the patient's self efficacy in maintaining balance. Few intervention studies use the number of falls as an outcome measure. Exercising balance following a mass training protocol seems to diminish the risk of falling.