Ischaemic vascular disease and long-term mortality in emergency abdominal surgical patients: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency abdominal surgery carries a high mortality, as patients are often frail with significant comorbidity. We aimed to evaluate the association between co-existing ischaemic vascular disease (IVD) and long-term mortality in patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. METHODS: We included adult emergency abdominal surgical patients operated on 13 Danish hospitals between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2010. Appendectomies were excluded. Data were retrieved from the National Patient Registry (NPR) and the Danish Anaesthesia Database. Preoperative IVD status was retrieved from NPR. We used crude and adjusted Cox regression analysis. The primary outcome was mortality within eight years. The secondary outcome was mortality within 30 days. RESULTS: We included 4864 patients, of which 2584 (53.7%) died within 8 years. Some 20.9% (1019/4864) had preoperative IVD. The adjusted association between preoperative IVD and mortality within 8 years was hazard ratio (HR) 1.10 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.20; P = .045). At 30 days, this association was HR 0.97 (95% CI, 0.84-1.13). CONCLUSION: In adult major emergency abdominal surgical patients, preoperative IVD was prevalent and associated with a 10% relative increase in long-term mortality, but not in short-term mortality.

Short-stay unit hospitalisation vs. standard care outcomes in older internal medicine patients-a randomised clinical trial.

Background: the effect of hospitalisation in emergency department-based short-stay units (SSUs) has not been studied in older patients. We compared SSU hospitalisation with standard care at an Internal Medicine Department (IMD) in acutely admitted older internal medicine patients. Methods: pragmatic randomised clinical trial. We randomly assigned patients aged 75 years or older, acutely admitted for an internal medicine disease and assessed to be suitable for SSU hospitalisation to SSU hospitalisation or IMD hospitalisation. SSU hospitalisation was provided by a pragmatic 'fast-track' principle. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included adverse events, change in Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) score within 90 days from admission, in-hospital length of stay and unplanned readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Results: between January 2015 and October 2016, 430 participants were randomised (median age 84 years in both groups). Ninety-day mortality was 22(11%) in the SSU group and 32(15%) in the IMD group (odds ratio (OR) 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.37-1.18; P = 0.16). When comparing the SSU group to the IMD group, 16(8%) vs. 45(21%) experienced at least one adverse event (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.17-0.56; P < 0.001); 6(3%) vs. 35(20%) experienced a reduction in IADL score within 90 days from admission (P < 0.001); median in-hospital length of stay was 73 h [interquartile range, IQR 36-147] vs. 100 h [IQR 47-169], (P < 0.001), and 26(13%) vs. 58(29%) were readmitted (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.22-0.61; P < 0.001). Conclusions: mortality at 90 days after admission was not significantly lower in the SSU group, but SSU hospitalisation was associated with a lower risk of adverse events, less functional decline, fewer readmissions and shorter hospital stay. Trial registration: NCT02395718.

Anaesthesia care for emergency endoscopy for peptic ulcer bleeding. A nationwide population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, no standard approach exists to the level of monitoring or presence of staff with anaesthetic expertise required during emergency esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) for peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB). We assess the association between anaesthesia care and mortality. We further describe the prevalence and inter-hospital variation of anaesthesia care in Denmark and identify clinical predictors for choosing anaesthesia care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This population-based cohort study included all emergency EGDs for PUB in adults during 2012-2013. About 90-day all-cause mortality after EGD was estimated by crude and adjusted logistic regression. Clinical predictors of anaesthesia care were identified in another logistic regression model. RESULTS: Some 3.056 EGDs performed at 21 hospitals were included; 2074 (68%) received anaesthesia care and 982 (32%) were managed under supervison of the endoscopist. Some 16.7% of the patients undergoing EGD with anaesthesia care died within 90 days after the procedure, compared to 9.8% of the patients who had no anaesthesia care, adjusted OR = 1.51 (95% CI = 1.25-1.83). Comparing the two hospitals with the most frequent (98.6% of al EGDs) and least frequent (6.9%) use of anaesthesia care, mortality was 13.7% and 11.7%, respectively, adjusted OR = 1.22 (95% CI = 0.55-2.71). The prevalence of anaesthesia care varied between the hospitals, median = 78.9% (range 6.9-98.6%). Predictors of choosing anaesthesia care were shock at admission, high ASA score, and no pre-existing comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Use of anaesthesia care for emergency EGD was associated with increased mortality, most likely because of confounding by indication. The use of anaesthesia care varied greatly between hospitals, but was unrelated to mortality at hospital level.

Medical evacuations in Greenland in 2018: a descriptive study.

Information regarding medical evacuations in Greenland is sparse. This study provides an overview of incidence, costs, and diagnoses leading to medical evacuations in Greenland in 2018. This is a retrospective, observational study. Patients with a valid Danish civil personal registration number were included. Data were obtained by scrutinising the itinerary of the Greenland travel coordination office and the medical records. 481 patients were identified. Forty-nine patients were excluded. 432 patients were analysed. Two-thirds of the evacuations were carried out within Greenland. The overall incidence of evacuations was 7.7 evacuations per 1,000 inhabitants per year. This differed, however, between the five different health regions. The cost of a medical evacuation ranged from less than 4,800 US dollars to more than 50,000 US dollars per case. Pregnancy and childbirth accounted for the majority of evacuations in women (31.2%) while diseases within the circulatory system and digestive tract accounted for the majority of evacuations in men (39.8%). The costs of medical evacuations may be reduced when combining evacuations of more than one patient. This indicates that combining evacuations of multiple patients from one health region by applying mandatory use of a central coordinating service may be beneficial.

Diabetes in Sub Saharan Africa 1999-2011: epidemiology and public health implications. A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes prevalence is increasing globally, and Sub-Saharan Africa is no exception. With diverse health challenges, health authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa and international donors need robust data on the epidemiology and impact of diabetes in order to plan and prioritise their health programmes. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the epidemiological trends and public health implications of diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review of papers published on diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa 1999-March 2011, providing data on diabetes prevalence, outcomes (chronic complications, infections, and mortality), access to diagnosis and care and economic impact. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes accounts for well over 90% of diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa, and population prevalence proportions ranged from 1% in rural Uganda to 12% in urban Kenya. Reported type 1 diabetes prevalence was low and ranged from 4 per 100,000 in Mozambique to 12 per 100,000 in Zambia. Gestational diabetes prevalence varied from 0% in Tanzania to 9% in Ethiopia. Proportions of patients with diabetic complications ranged from 7-63% for retinopathy, 27-66% for neuropathy, and 10-83% for microalbuminuria. Diabetes is likely to increase the risk of several important infections in the region, including tuberculosis, pneumonia and sepsis. Meanwhile, antiviral treatment for HIV increases the risk of obesity and insulin resistance. Five-year mortality proportions of patients with diabetes varied from 4-57%. Screening studies identified high proportions (> 40%) with previously undiagnosed diabetes, and low levels of adequate glucose control among previously diagnosed diabetics. Barriers to accessing diagnosis and treatment included a lack of diagnostic tools and glucose monitoring equipment and high cost of diabetes treatment. The total annual cost of diabetes in the region was estimated at US$67.03 billion, or US$8836 per diabetic patient. CONCLUSION: Diabetes exerts a significant burden in the region, and this is expected to increase. Many diabetic patients face significant challenges accessing diagnosis and treatment, which contributes to the high mortality and prevalence of complications observed. The significant interactions between diabetes and important infectious diseases highlight the need and opportunity for health planners to develop integrated responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Neurosurgical Admission Later Than 4 h After the Emergency Call Does Not Result in Worse Long-Term Outcome in Subarachnoid Haemorrhage.

Background: Few studies have investigated the importance of the time interval between contact to the emergency medical service and neurosurgical admission in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. We hypothesised that longer time to treatment would be associated with an increased risk of death or early retirement. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study with 4 years follow-up. Those who reached a neurosurgical department in fewer than 4 h were compared with those who reached it in more than 4 h. Individual level data were merged from the Danish National Patient Register, medical records, the Copenhagen Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre, the Civil Registration System, and the Ministry of Employment and Statistics Denmark. Patients were ≥18 years and had a verified diagnosis of spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. The primary outcome was death or early retirement after 4 years. Results: Two hundred sixty-two patients admitted within a three-and-a-half-year time period were identified. Data were available in 124 patients, and 61 of them were in their working age. Four-year all-cause mortality was 25.8%. No significant association was found between time to neurosurgical admission and risk of death or early retirement (OR = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.10-1.23, p = 0.10). Conclusion: We did not find an association between the time from emergency telephone call to neurosurgical admission and the risk of death or early retirement.

Criteria-based dispatch of emergency medical services in non-traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage.

INTRODUCTION: Timely admission to a facility capable of providing highly specialised treatment is key in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage. We aimed to determine the time elapsed from the initial emergency telephone call to arrival at a neurosurgical department. Also, we aimed to determine the ambulance dispatch criteria used and the activated prehospital responses. METHODS: This was a retrospective study. Patients admitted in the Capital Region of Denmark within a 3.5-year period were identified in the Danish National Patient Register. Data were extracted from medical records and from automated telephone logs at the Emergency Medical Dispatch Centre. RESULTS: Time intervals were available in 124 out of 262 patients and ambulance dispatch criteria in 98 patients. The median time from call to neurosurgical admission was 207.5 minutes. The dispatch criterion sudden severe headache had a sensitivity of 17.4%. An ambulance with lights and sirens was dispatched to 77% of patients and 28% were brought directly to a hospital with neurosurgical facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The median time from emergency call to neurosurgical admission was 3.5 hours. No single dispatch criterion detected the condition with an acceptable sensitivity. A high proportion of patients received an ambulance with lights and sirens, but more than two out of three were not initially brought to a hospital with neurosurgical facilities. FUNDING: the non-profit organisation Trygfonden Trial registration: NCT03786068 - www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Symptoms presented during emergency telephone calls for patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: A spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is one of the most critical neurological emergencies a dispatcher can face in an emergency telephone call. No study has yet investigated which symptoms are presented in emergency telephone calls for these patients. We aimed to identify symptoms indicative of SAH and to determine the sensitivity of these and their association (odds ratio, OR) with SAH. METHODS: This was a nested case-control study based on all telephone calls to the medical dispatch center of Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services in a 4-year time period. Patients with SAH were identified in the Danish National Patient Register; diagnoses were verified by medical record review and their emergency telephone call audio files were extracted. Audio files were replayed, and symptoms extracted in a standardized manner. Audio files of a control group were replayed and assessed as well. RESULTS: We included 224 SAH patients and 609 controls. Cardiac arrest and persisting unconsciousness were reported in 5.8% and 14.7% of SAH patients, respectively. The highest sensitivity was found for headache (58.9%), nausea/vomiting (46.9%) and neck pain (32.6%). Among conscious SAH patients these symptoms were found to have the strongest association with SAH (OR 27.0, 8.41 and 34.0, respectively). Inability to stand up, speech difficulty, or sweating were reported in 24.6%, 24.2%, and 22.8%. The most frequent combination of symptoms was headache and nausea/vomiting, which was reported in 41.6% of SAH patients. More than 90% of headaches were severe, but headache was not reported in 29.7% of conscious SAH patients. In these, syncope was described by 49.1% and nausea/vomiting by 37.7%. CONCLUSION: Headache, nausea/vomiting, and neck pain had the highest sensitivity and strongest association with SAH in emergency telephone calls. Unspecific symptoms such as inability to stand up, speech difficulty or sweating were reported in 1 out of 5 calls. Interestingly, 1 in 3 conscious SAH patients did not report headache. Trial registration NCT03980613 ( www.clinicaltrials.gov ).

Efficacy of the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate in patients hospitalized with Covid-19-a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The trans-membrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is essential for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cell entry and infection. Efficacy and safety of TMPRSS2 inhibitors in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) have not been evaluated in randomized trials. METHODS: We conducted an investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter trial in patients hospitalized with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 4, to December 31, 2020. Within 48 h of admission, participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive the TMPRSS2 inhibitor camostat mesilate 200 mg three times daily for 5 days or placebo. The primary outcome was time to discharge or clinical improvement measured as ≥2 points improvement on a 7-point ordinal scale. Other outcomes included 30-day mortality, safety and change in oropharyngeal viral load. FINDINGS: 137 patients were assigned to receive camostat mesilate and 68 to placebo. Median time to clinical improvement was 5 days (interquartile range [IQR], 3 to 7) in the camostat group and 5 days (IQR, 2 to 10) in the placebo group (P = 0·31). The hazard ratio for 30-day mortality in the camostat compared with the placebo group was 0·82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0·24 to 2·79; P = 0·75). The frequency of adverse events was similar in the two groups. Median change in viral load from baseline to day 5 in the camostat group was -0·22 log10 copies/mL (p <0·05) and -0·82 log10 in the placebo group (P <0·05). INTERPRETATION: Under this protocol, camostat mesilate treatment was not associated with increased adverse events during hospitalization for Covid-19 and did not affect time to clinical improvement, progression to ICU admission or mortality. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04321096. EudraCT Number: 2020-001200-42.

Improving the immunogenicity of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in HIV-infected adults with a toll-like receptor 9 agonist adjuvant: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are often hyporesponsive to immunization, including pneumococcal vaccines. We hypothesized that adding CPG 7909, a toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonist and vaccine adjuvant, to 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vPnC) would increase its immunogenicity in HIV-infected adults. METHODS: We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1b/2a trial randomizing HIV-positive patients to receive double doses of 7vPnC (Prevnar) at 0 and 3 months and 1 dose of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23; Pneumo Novum) at 9 months, with experimental patients receiving 1 mg of CPG 7909 added to each of their 3 vaccine doses; control patients had phosphate-buffered saline added instead. Immunogenicity and safety were evaluated for up to 10 months. The primary end point was the proportion of vaccine high responders at 9 months, defined as a 2-fold increase in IgG levels to > or = 1 microg/mL for at least 5 of 7 of the 7vPnC serotypes. RESULTS: Ninety-seven participants were included in the study. The proportion of vaccine high responders was higher in the experimental group (n = 48) than among controls (n = 49; 48.8% vs 25.0%; P = .02) at 9 months. Greater proportions of high responders were also observed at 3 (51.1% vs 39.6%; P = .26), 4 (77.3% vs 56.3%; P = .03), and 10 months (87.8% vs 51.1%; P < .001). Mild systemic and injection site reactions to 7vPnC were more common in the experimental group than the control group (100% vs 81.3%; P = .002). CPG 7909 did not increase non-7vPnC IgG levels after PPV-23 immunization. No adverse effects on CD4(+) cell count or organ functions occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a TLR9 agonist to 7vPnC significantly enhanced the proportion of vaccine high responders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00562939 .

Regional variation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Incidence and survival - A nationwide study of regions in Denmark.

AIM: Regional variation in incidence and survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may be caused by many factors including differences in definitions and reporting. We examined regional differences in Denmark. METHODS: From the Danish Cardiac Arrest Registry we identified adult OHCA patients between 2009-2014 of presumed cardiac cause. Patients were grouped according to the five administrative/geographical regions of Denmark and survival was examined based on all arrest-cases (30-day survival percentage) and number of survivors per 100,000 inhabitants. RESULTS: We included 12,902 OHCAs of which 1550 (12.0 %) were alive 30 days after OHCA. No regional differences were observed in age, sex or comorbidities. Incidence of OHCA ranged from 32.9 to 42.4 per 100,000 inhabitants; 30-day survival percentages ranged from 8.5% to 13.8% and number of survivors per 100,000 inhabitants ranged from 3.5 to 5.9, across the regions. In one of the regions car-manned pre-hospital physicians were discontinued from 2011. Here, the incidence of OHCA per 100,000 inhabitants increased markedly from 37.1 in 2011 to 52.2 in 2014 and 30-day survival percentage decreased from 10.9 % in 2011 to 7.5 % in 2014; while the number of survivors per 100,000 inhabitants stagnated from 4.0 in 2011 to 3.9 in 2014. In comparison, survival increased in the other four regions. CONCLUSION: Differences in incidence and 30-day survival after OHCA were observed between the five regions of Denmark. Comparisons of survival should not only be based on survival percentages, but also on number of survivors of the background population as inclusion bias can influence survival outcomes.

The incidence rate of HIV type-1 drug resistance in patients on antiretroviral therapy: a nationwide population-based Danish cohort study 1999-2005.

BACKGROUND: Newer antiretroviral treatment regimens for HIV carry a lower risk of inducing drug resistance mutations. We estimated changes in incidence rates (IRs) of new mutations in HIV-infected individuals receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: Population-based data were obtained from the Danish HIV Cohort Study and the Danish HIV Sequence Database. We included treatment-naive patients initiating HAART after December 1997 and computed time to first drug resistance mutation, identified as new mutations detected within 1 year after a 60-day period of treatment failure (HIV RNA>1,000 copies/ml). We estimated annual IRs of new resistance mutations towards nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-NRTIs (NNRTIs) and protease inhibitors (PI), and of new specific resistance mutations. RESULTS: A total of 1,829 individuals were observed for 7,294 person-years at risk (PYR). The IR of NRTI resistance decreased from 13.1 per 1,000 PYR (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.9-35.0) in 1999 to 3.7 (1.9-7.2) in 2004-2005 (test for trend P=0.024). The IR of NNRTI resistance decreased from 15.4 (2.2-109.6) in 1999 to 7.9 (4.6-13.6) in 2004-2005 (P=0.077). The IR of PI resistance decreased from 7.5 (1.4-21.8) in 1999 to 2.9 (0.7-11.4) in 2002-2003 (P=0.148). The IRs were low for specific resistance mutations, except for M184V (IR 5.6 [4.0-7.9]) and K103N (IR 8.2 [5.6-12.0]). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of acquired drug resistance has decreased among HIV-infected patients treated with HAART in Denmark during 1999-2005.

Long-term consequences of postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is common in elderly patients after noncardiac surgery, but the consequences are unknown. The authors' aim was to determine the effects of POCD on long-term prognosis. METHODS: This was an observational study of Danish patients enrolled in two multicenter studies of POCD between November 1994 and October 2000. The cohort was followed up from the date of surgery until August 2007. Cognitive function was assessed by a neuropsychological test battery at three time points: before, at 1 week after, and at 3 months after noncardiac surgery. Data on survival, labor market attachment, and social transfer payments were obtained from administrative databases. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to compute relative risk estimates for mortality and disability, and the relative prevalence of time on social transfer payments was assessed by Poisson regression. RESULTS: A total of 701 patients were followed up for a median of 8.5 yr (interquartile range, 5.3-11.4 yr). POCD at 3 months, but not at 1 week, was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio, 1.63 [95% confidence interval, 1.11-2.38]; P = 0.01, adjusted for sex, age, and cancer). The risk of leaving the labor market prematurely because of disability or voluntary early retirement was higher among patients with 1-week POCD (hazard ratio, 2.26 [1.24-4.12]; P = 0.01). Patients with POCD at 1 week received social transfer payments for a longer proportion of observation time (prevalence ratio, 1.45 [1.03-2.04]; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive dysfunction after noncardiac surgery was associated with increased mortality, risk of leaving the labor market prematurely, and dependency on social transfer payments.

The clinical use of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of Danish patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) suffer from diabetes-related complications and comor-bidities. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment modality with limited capacity used in the treatment of DFUs. It is important to ensure that HBOT is offered to patients who are suitable for this treatment regarding effect, compliance and life expectancy. The objective of the present study was to describe the population of patients with DFU who were referred to HBOT in Denmark in the 1999-2016 period. METHODS: All patients with DFU who were treated at the HBOT chamber in Copenhagen during the study period were considered. Patients with an invalid social security number or an incorrect diagnosis were excluded. Data on comor-bidities, amputation and death were extracted from the Danish National patient Registry and the Danish Civil Registration System. Continuous data were described as median values and binary data were described as proportions. The probability estimate for survival and amputation was investigated by constructing Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: The cohort included 148 patients. Patients were mainly referred from the Capital Region (92%) and multi-disciplinary wound care centres were the primary referring departments (67%). Comorbidity rates were high with an initial median Charlson Comorbidity Index score of five. The five-year amputation and mortality estimates after referral were 73.5% and 51.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that Danish DFU patients who are offered HBOT are in advanced stages of their disease, and the referral hinges on local factors such as geography and the referring source rather than on standardised procedures. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Hospitalization for pneumonia among individuals with and without HIV infection, 1995-2007: a Danish population-based, nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals with high CD4(+) cell counts may have increased susceptibility to other infections. We compared incidence rates of pneumonia among individuals with and without HIV infection and explored risk factors for pneumonia in the HIV-infected population. METHODS: This was an observational cohort study conducted during 1995-2007. Each member of a Danish population-based nationwide cohort of HIV-infected individuals was matched with up to 99 control individuals from the general population. Data on age, mortality, emigration, and hospital discharge diagnoses from 1977 onward were obtained from nationwide administrative databases. Individuals without previous hospitalization for pneumonia were observed from the date of HIV diagnosis until the first hospitalization to treat pneumonia (excluding pneumonia attributable to Pneumocystis jiroveci). Risk factors were assessed by Poisson regression. RESULTS: The study included 3516 persons with HIV infection and 328,738 persons without HIV infection, which provided 23,677 person-years and 2,944,760 person-years of observation, respectively. Incidence rates of pneumonia in HIV-infected individuals decreased from 50.6 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI], 42.9-59.7 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years) during 1995-1996 to 19.7 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 16.2-23.8 hospitalizations per 1000 person-years) during 2005-2007. Compared with control individuals, incidence rate ratios were 34.6 (95% CI, 28.4-41.8) during 1995-1996; 6.3 (95% CI, 5.1-7.7) during 2005-2007; and 5.9 (95% CI, 4.2-7.6) during 2005-2007 for the subgroup with a CD4(+) cell count >500 cells/microL. Injection drug use, low current CD4(+) cell count, nadir CD4(+) cell count, increasing age, and no current receipt of highly active antiretroviral therapy increased the risk of pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of pneumonia in persons with HIV infection has decreased substantially since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy, but HIV infection remains a strong risk factor for the need for hospitalization to treat pneumonia, even in persons with high CD4(+) cell counts.

Survival of persons with and without HIV infection in Denmark, 1995-2005.

BACKGROUND: The expected survival of HIV-infected patients is of major public health interest. OBJECTIVE: To estimate survival time and age-specific mortality rates of an HIV-infected population compared with that of the general population. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study. SETTING: All HIV-infected persons receiving care in Denmark from 1995 to 2005. PATIENTS: Each member of the nationwide Danish HIV Cohort Study was matched with as many as 99 persons from the general population according to sex, date of birth, and municipality of residence. MEASUREMENTS: The authors computed Kaplan-Meier life tables with age as the time scale to estimate survival from age 25 years. Patients with HIV infection and corresponding persons from the general population were observed from the date of the patient's HIV diagnosis until death, emigration, or 1 May 2005. RESULTS: 3990 HIV-infected patients and 379,872 persons from the general population were included in the study, yielding 22,744 (median, 5.8 y/person) and 2,689,287 (median, 8.4 years/person) person-years of observation. Three percent of participants were lost to follow-up. From age 25 years, the median survival was 19.9 years (95% CI, 18.5 to 21.3) among patients with HIV infection and 51.1 years (CI, 50.9 to 51.5) among the general population. For HIV-infected patients, survival increased to 32.5 years (CI, 29.4 to 34.7) during the 2000 to 2005 period. In the subgroup that excluded persons with known hepatitis C coinfection (16%), median survival was 38.9 years (CI, 35.4 to 40.1) during this same period. The relative mortality rates for patients with HIV infection compared with those for the general population decreased with increasing age, whereas the excess mortality rate increased with increasing age. LIMITATIONS: The observed mortality rates are assumed to apply beyond the current maximum observation time of 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated median survival is more than 35 years for a young person diagnosed with HIV infection in the late highly active antiretroviral therapy era. However, an ongoing effort is still needed to further reduce mortality rates for these persons compared with the general population.

Oncological treatment and outcome of colorectal cancer in Greenland.

Oncological treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been available in Greenland since 2004. Treatment is provided by Queen Ingrid´s Hospital (QIH), under supervision from the Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. The study describes patient characteristics, oncological treatment and survival for the first 8 years of treatment. The study was a registry-based observational study of all patients in Greenland diagnosed with histologically verified CRC from August 2004 to August 2012. Analyses were stratified according to stage and discussed in relation to reported data from patients with CRC in Denmark. 180 patients were included. . Stage I, II, III, and IV comprised 15, 34, 23, and 23%, respectively. 5% presented with unknown stage. A total of 51% received oncological treatment. 79% of patients with Stage III disease received adjuvant chemotherapy, 61% of patients with metastatic CRC received palliative chemotherapy. Five-year survival was 48 and 53% for colon and rectum cancer, respectively. An insignificant trend towards higher survival in men than in women was seen; adjusted hazard ratio for death (women vs men) = 1.46 (95% CI = 0.97-2.19). In conclusion; Stage distribution, provision of oncological treatment and 5-year survival were comparable to patients diagnosed and treated in Denmark.

Anaesthesia practice in Denmark for relocation of the dislocated hip after total hip arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of hip dislocations after total hip arthroplasty (THA) is 2-4% in Denmark. Patients with a dislocated THA are often elderly citizens with comorbidities and severe pain in the pre-reposition phase. Evidence as to which method of anaesthesia and airway management is best for hip relocation is lacking. The aim of this study was to determine how anaesthesiologists in Denmark provide anaesthesia for relocation of THAs, and if a local guideline is available. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to all members of the Danish Association of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care and the Danish Society of Young Anaesthesiologists. RESULTS: A total of 480 doctors completed the questionnaire. Of these, 61% (291/480) worked at a department providing anaesthesia for relocation of THAs of whom 85% (248/291) had provided anaesthesia during at least one hip dislocation during the past two years. A total of 27% (67/248) had access to a local guideline of whom 72% (48/67) followed the guideline. In all, 55% (134/248) preferred the patient to be fasting before anaesthesia. The preferred methods of anaesthesia were general anaesthesia with laryngeal mask 43% (106/248) and endotracheal intubation 45% (112/248). 5% (12/248) had experienced complications to anaesthesia. Cardiovascular complications and aspiration were the most frequently reported complications. CONCLUSIONS: Provision of anaesthesia for relocation of a dislocated THA varies across Denmark. Few anaesthesi-ologists have access to a local guideline. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.