Availability of informal caregivers in surviving stroke patients in Belgium.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the availability of informal caregivers in surviving stroke patients residing at home in Belgium. METHODS: National estimates on the availability of informal caregivers were made using data from a nationwide observational registration of family physicians working in sentinel practices and a nationwide administrative database for reimbursement of hospitals in Belgium. RESULTS: A total of 189 Belgian family physicians (FPs) from 141 practices participated in the study and recorded 326 patients (144 men and 182 women) with stroke. These FPs reach 1.5% of the Belgian population. After 1 month, 71% of the male and 75% of the female stroke survivors received support from family caregivers (p = 0.547). After 6 months, the percentage of male patients who received support from family caregivers decreased to 60% compared with 75% in female (p = 0.038). Of all patients with stroke admitted to Belgian hospitals during the reference year 2009 (n = 16.437), 8.997 returned home. Based on the findings from the sentinel practices, it is estimated that a mean of 73% (n = 6.568) and 67.5% (n = 6.073) of surviving patients with stroke can rely on informal caregivers in their home setting after one and 6 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A vast majority of surviving stroke patients in Belgium can rely on informal caregivers in their home setting, but their availability rapidly decreases 6 months after the event. These findings underline the importance of proactive health policy making in stroke care taking into account the potentially decreasing number of available informal caregivers in the decades to come.

Prevalence of Liver Steatosis in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Patients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disease caused by pathogenetic variants in either the TSC1 or TSC2 genes. Consequently, the mechanistic target of the rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway, a regulator of cell growth, metabolism, and survival, becomes inappropriately activated, leading to the development of benign tumors in multiple organs. The role of mTORC1 in lipid metabolism and liver steatosis in TSC patients has not been well-studied, and clinical data on liver involvement in this population are scarce. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study to compare liver steatosis in TSC patients with age-, sex-, BMI-, and diabetes status-matched controls. Participants with a definite diagnosis of TSC were recruited from the TSC clinic at UZ Brussel. Liver steatosis was quantified using the fat signal fraction from in-phase and out-of-phase MRI, with a threshold of ≥5% defining the presence of steatosis. We also evaluated the prevalence of liver angiomyolipomata in the TSC group and analyzed risk factors for both liver steatosis and angiomyolipomata. Results: The study included 59 TSC patients and 59 matched controls. The mean fat signal fraction was 4.0% in the TSC group and 3.9% in the controls, showing no significant difference (two-tailed Wilcoxon signed ranks test, p = 0.950). Liver steatosis was observed in 15.3% of TSC patients compared to 23.7% of the controls, which was not statistically significant (two-tailed McNemar test, p = 0.267). Liver angiomyolipomata were identified in 13.6% of the TSC cohort. Conclusions: Our study, describing in detail the liver phenotype of TSC patients, did not reveal a significant difference in the prevalence of MRI-assessed liver steatosis in a large cohort of TSC patients compared to a closely matched control group.

Step-up approach in emphysematous hepatitis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Emphysematous hepatitis (EH) is a rare, rapidly progressive fulminant gas-forming infection of the liver parenchyma. It is often fatal and mostly affects diabetes patients. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of EH successfully managed by a step-up approach consisting of aggressive hemodynamic support, intravenous antibiotics, and percutaneous drainage, ultimately followed by laparoscopic deroofing. Of 11 documented cases worldwide, only 1 of the patients survived, treated by urgent laparotomy and surgical debridement. CONCLUSION: EH is a life-threatening infection. Its high mortality rate makes timely diagnosis essential, in order to navigate treatment accordingly.

Cystic Lymphangioma: Are Triglycerides Always Measurable?

The presence of chylous fluid with high triglycerides levels on endoscopic ultrasound- (EUS-) guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) is very pathognomonic for the diagnosis of cystic lymphangiomas of the pancreas. In our case report the puncture of the pancreatic cyst showed a typical milky fluid though measurable triglyceride concentrations were absent in the laboratory. Two possible explanations were found. First of all grossly lipemic samples show a slower rate of color development than do clear serums which can produce a false negative result if the sample is insufficiently diluted. Secondly, high lipase levels can divide triglycerides in glycerol and fatty acids, making the concentration of triglycerides undetectable.

Results of the Belgian Sentinel Network of General Practitioners on the Involvement of Therapists in Stroke Rehabilitation.

This study examines which therapists are involved in the rehabilitation of stroke survivors in Belgium at different points in time. A nationwide registration of stroke patients was provided by 199 and 189 family physicians working in sentinel practices for the years 2009 and 2010 respectively. 326 patients who were diagnosed with stroke were included. Patients with paralysis/paresis received significant more physiotherapy after one month (63%) compared to non-paralysed patients (38%) (P = 0.005). Residing in a nursing home was associated with higher proportions of patients receiving physiotherapy, both after one (P = 0.003) and six (P = 0.002) months. 31% of patients with aphasia were treated by a speech and language therapist after one month, which decreased after six months to 20%. After six months, the patients in a nursing home received significant more often speech and language therapy (P = 0.004), compared to patients living at home. The proportion of patients receiving stroke rehabilitation services provided by physiotherapists, speech/language therapists and occupational therapists is rather low, especially 6 months after the critical event.

Place of residence after a stroke: results of the registration by the Belgian Sentinel Network of general practitioners.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a major health problem worldwide. The health consequences for the survivors are not to be underestimated. The increased care needs after a stroke result often in a change of residence or an institutionalisation. The aim of the study is to provide an overview in the changes of the place of residence in the first year after stroke. METHODS: A nationwide observational registration by 199 and 189 family physicians (respectively in 2009 and 2010) working in sentinel practices. All cerebrovascular events that occurred in 2009 and 2010 were recorded. Follow-up was provided 1, 6 and 12 month(s) after the initial registration. RESULTS: In total 326 patients were diagnosed with a stroke and 87% were hospitalized. At the time of the event 83% of the patients lived at home and one year after the event 80% did (p = 0.366). Older age (p = 0.008), originally living in a nursing home (p = 0.009) and speech problems (p = 0.003) and incontinence (p = 0.017) were the most important determinants for institutionalisation in a nursing home after one year. CONCLUSION: There is a high proportion of the Belgian stroke survivors that can return home after the initial hospitalization. Mainly older patients with severe disabilities did not return to their home.