Readmissions to hospital following a decision to eat and drink with acknowledged risk.

People with a dysphagia may eat and drink with acknowledged risks (EDAR). The FORWARD care bundle (Feeding via the Oral Route With Acknowledged Risk of Deterioration) is used at our hospital to support patients who are EDAR. This two-year retrospective study of patients supported by FORWARD aimed to determine incidence of EDAR-related readmissions and effects of discharge location and documented preferred place of care in advance care plans. Of 316 patients supported by FORWARD, 200 were discharged alive. 63% (n=126) were not readmitted within six months. Of 74 patients readmitted, 49% had an EDAR-related readmission. Significantly fewer patients wishing to remain at home had EDAR-related readmissions (7%, n=4) than those without a documented preferred place of care (23%, n=30, p<0.01), suggesting advance care plans are effective. Significantly more (23%, n=29) patients discharged to private homes had EDAR-related readmissions than those in nursing/care homes (10%, n=6, p<0.05), which could suggest residential care provides more support.

Evaluating multisite multiprofessional simulation training for a hyperacute stroke service using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a clinical priority requiring early specialist assessment and treatment. A London (UK) stroke strategy was introduced in 2010, with Hyper Acute Stroke Units (HASUs) providing specialist and high dependency care. To support increased numbers of specialist staff, innovative multisite multiprofessional simulation training under a standard protocol-based curriculum took place across London. This paper reports on an independent evaluation of the HASU training programme. The main aim was to evaluate mechanisms for behaviour change within the training design and delivery, and impact upon learners including potential transferability to the clinical environment. METHODS: The evaluation utilised the Behaviour Change Wheel framework. Procedures included: mapping training via the framework; examination of course material; direct and video-recorded observations of courses; pre-post course survey sheet; and follow up in-depth interviews with candidates and faculty. RESULTS: Patient management skills and trainee confidence were reportedly increased post-course (post-course median 6 [IQ range 5-6.33]; pre-course median 5 [IQ range 4.67-5.83]; z = 6.42, P < .001). Thematic analysis showed that facilitated 'debrief' was the key agent in supporting both clinical and non-clinical skills. Follow up interviews in practice showed some sustained effects such as enthusiasm for role, and a focus on situational awareness, prioritization and verbalising thoughts. Challenges in standardising a multi-centre course included provision for local context/identity. CONCLUSIONS: Pan-London simulation training under the London Stroke Model had positive outcomes in terms of self-reported skills and motivation. These effects persisted to an extent in practice, where staff could recount applications of learning. The evaluation demonstrated that a multiple centre simulation programme congruent with clinical practice can provide valuable standard training opportunities that support patient care.

Post-stroke urinary incontinence.

AIM: To provide a comprehensive review of the current evidence on post-stroke urinary incontinence. METHOD: An electronic database search was performed to identify relevant studies and review articles related to Urinary Incontinence (UI) in the stroke population between the years 1966 and 2012. FINDINGS: Urinary incontinence following stroke is a common problem affecting more than one-third of acute stroke patients and persisting in up to a quarter at 1 year. It is well established that this condition is a strong marker of stroke severity and is associated with poorer functional outcomes and increased institutionalisation and mortality rates compared with those who remain continent. Despite evidence linking better outcomes to those patients who regain continence, the results of national audits have demonstrated that the management of UI following stroke is suboptimal, with less than two-thirds of stroke units having a documented plan to promote continence. CONCLUSION: Current evidence supports a thorough assessment to categorise the type and severity of post-stroke urinary incontinence. An individually tailored, structured management strategy to promote continence should be employed. This has been associated with better stroke outcomes and should be the aim of all stroke health professionals.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a real risk factor for stroke.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a common and complex heterogeneous cardiovascular entity. Its relationship to ischaemic stroke and atrial fibrillation is under-recognized and consequently, many patients who should be on oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention go untreated.

Simulation training for clinicians returning to practice.

Many doctors take time out of clinical practice, and then have decreased confidence and poor performance ratings on their return. Simulation training provides a safe and effective learning platform for healthcare professionals to become immersed in realistic scenarios that provide an opportunity to develop technical and non-technical skills. A standardised, 1-day, multi-fidelity, interprofessional, simulation training course was developed and delivered at four sites, focusing on human factors, patient safety and acute clinical scenarios relevant for clinicians returning to practice in internal medicine. A total of 56 participants, with a median time out of training of 3.6 years, attended seven courses. Quantitative and qualitative analysis showed a significant pre/post-course increase in candidates' self-reported confidence in returning to practice along with learning in non-technical skills. The carefully designed standardised format may facilitate wider expansion of such training.

Cerebrovascular reactivity and dynamic autoregulation in ischaemic subcortical white matter disease.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that impaired cerebral autoregulation and vasodilatory capacity may play in role in the pathogenesis of the leukoaraiosis seen in small vessel disease. Adequate perfusion of the deep white matter of the brain depends on the relationships between blood pressure (BP), cerebral vasoreactivity and autoregulation. METHODS: 24 h ambulatory BP measurement, quantitative volumetric MRI analysis of white matter lesion (WML) volume and transcranial Doppler ultrasound assessments of CO(2) reactivity in response to hypercapnia and dynamic cerebral autoregulatory index (ARI) were undertaken in 64 patients with cerebral small vessel disease. RESULTS: Subjects had mean 24 h BP 133/76 mm Hg (SD 13/9), median WML volume 7169 (IQR 20497) mm(3), mean CO(2) reactivity 83.6 (SD 37.4)% and mean ARI 5.6 (SD 1.4) (range 0-9). In multivariate models, after adjusting for age, gender, vascular risk profile and WML volume, ARI correlated with 24 h mean BP levels (R(2) = 0.127, t = 2.440, p = 0.019) and CO(2) reactivity correlated with duration of hypertension (R(2) = 0.085, t = -2.244, p = 0.029). In individuals with hypertension for more than 10 years, ARI also correlated with nocturnal BP dipping (r = 0.806, p = 0.002). ARI and CO(2) reactivity were unaffected by WML volumes, and ARI and CO(2) reactivity were unrelated. CONCLUSION: Cerebral autoregulation and CO(2) reactivity are two distinct processes which are not related to WML volume but are related to BP levels and duration of hypertension, respectively. Greater nocturnal dipping was associated with higher ARI values, suggesting preservation of autoregulation in patients with increased vulnerability to reduced cerebral perfusion.

Cognitive function and hypertension.

The importance of lowering blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive subjects is well known but the relationship between hypertension and cognitive function is controversial. This article reviews the role of hypertension in the aetiology of cognitive impairment and the relationships between BP, cerebral perfusion and cognition. It also summarizes findings of studies addressing the effect of antihypertensive therapy and cognition. An electronic database search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library and extensive manual searching of articles were conducted to identify studies that have used objective measurements of BP and neuropsychological tests to investigate the relationship among hypertension, cognitive function and/or antihypertensive treatment. In total, 28 cross-sectional studies, 22 longitudinal studies and 8 randomized placebo-controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Cross-sectional studies showed mixed relationships between higher BP and cognition, with many studies showing no correlation or even J- or U-shaped associations. The majority of longitudinal studies demonstrated elevated BP to be associated with cognitive decline. Randomized studies demonstrated heterogeneous and, sometimes conflicting, effects of BP lowering on cognitive function. Suggested reasons for this heterogeneity include multiple mechanisms by which hypertension affects the brain, the variety of cognitive instruments used for assessment and differences in antihypertensive treatments. Although lowering the BP is beneficial in most patients with vascular risk factors, the effects of BP reduction on cognition remain unclear. Given the predicted upswing in people with cognitive impairments, the time is right for randomized clinical trials with specific cognitive end points to examine the relationship between cognitive function and hypertension and guide practice.

The "cotton bud technique" as a cure for hiccups.

Persistent hiccups cause psychological and physical distress and can lead to pathology such as carotid artery dissection. Therapy of hiccups is based on small case series, often using pharmacological agents. We present a method that avoids medications or invasive interventions.

Hypertension-related cognitive decline: is the time right for intervention studies?

The importance of lowering blood pressure in hypertensive subjects is well known but the relationship between hypertension and cognitive function has been a subject of considerable controversy. Cross-sectional studies investigating the relationship between blood pressure and cognition have shown conflicting relationships whilst the majority of longitudinal studies have demonstrated elevated blood pressure to be associated with cognitive decline. Randomised studies have demonstrated heterogeneous and sometimes conflicting effects of blood pressure lowering on cognitive function and suggested reasons include multiple mechanisms by which hypertension affects the brain, the variety of cognitive instruments used for assessment and differences in antihypertensive treatments. Chronic hypertension accelerates arteriosclerotic changes in the brain with a disproportionate effect on subcortical circuits associated with cerebral small vessel disease. Randomised clinical trials assessing the cognitive consequences of blood pressure reduction in people with small vessel disease are lacking and many of the existing controversies on the cognitive consequences of blood pressure lowering, especially in older people, arise from the design limitations of studies. This article describes the methodological issues in designing such a trial and the results of a pilot evaluation to see if careful selection of subjects and measurements would make undertaking intervention studies feasible. Given the predicted upswing in people with cognitive impairments, the time is right for randomised clinical trials with specific cognitive end-points to examine the relationship between cognitive function and hypertension and guide practice.

Post-influenza vaccine chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

We present a case of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy occurring subsequent to influenza vaccination in a 74-year-old gentleman with no previous neurological history.

Phenytoin toxicity: an easily missed cause of cerebellar syndrome.

We present a series of cases of phenytoin toxicity where the diagnosis was initially missed. These patients all suffered unnecessary morbidity or investigations. The side-effects and unusual pharmacokinetics of phenytoin are discussed, as well as the array of potential drug interactions. We remind clinicians that phenytoin toxicity can easily mimic a cerebellar lesion or alcohol intoxication, and suggest that in accordance with National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines phenytoin should no longer be used as a first-line treatment for epilepsy.

Melanoma of the conjunctiva--a rational approach to management.

Eleven of 12 patients treated for invasive melanomas of the conjunctiva at the UCLA Hospitals from 1955 to 1976 revealed data sufficient for evaluation. Of these 11 cases, 4 died from 3 to 13 years after treatment as a result of the disease. The plan presented for surgical management of melanosis is based on histologic criteria and on the anatomic location of the tumor. In this series, such management ranged from local excision of noninvasive melanotic lesions to orbital exenteration with parotidectomy and radical neck dissection for invasive melanomas that involved the palpebral conjunctiva or caruncle. Extended follow-up is needed in all patients.

An unusual form of laryngeal paralysis associated with Arnold-Chiari malformation.

This paper alerts the otolaryngologist to a previously unreported type of laryngeal paralysis (adductor type) in association with the Arnold-Chiari malformation. A survey of the literature fails to reveal any similar documented cases of absent laryngeal sensory function in association with this neurological defect. All prior reports have dealt with abductor laryngeal paralysis associated with the Arnold-Chiari malformation in which airway obstruction was the predominant laryngeal symptom. In the patient reported here, aspiration was the predominant symptom and was due to total loss of laryngeal sensation. This report describes this patient's clinical findings in detail, reviews the literature, and discusses management.

Voice change in the pediatric patient. A differential diagnosis.

This paper reviews the causes of voice change in the infant and child. Symptoms of dysphonia can be very early evidence of a serious problem, either within the larynx or resulting from a systemic disease. The need to investigate the cause of voice disturbances is stressed. The large number of diseases in which voice change occurs makes a complete examination of the child, both local and systemic, absolutely necessary in order to arrive at a specific diagnosis. The mechanism of voice change is described in each category of the numerous causes of dysphonia.

Foregut cysts in infants and children. Diagnosis and management.

The charts of 15 patients with foregut cysts were reviewed. The lesions were intrathoracic in 14 patients and in the cervical area in one child. The importance of early diagnosis and surgical management is stressed. In untreated infants with foregut cysts, severe progressive and life-threatening airway obstruction may develop. Since the symptoms of this congenital lesion may simulate other more common diseases of the tracheobronchial tree and esophagus, the physician should become familiar with this disease entity so that proper diagnosis and surgical treatment will not be delayed. The study includes symptomatology, methods of diagnosis, pathologic findings and classification of the cysts.