First four years of operation of a municipal acute bed unit in rural Norway.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of a small municipality acute bed unit (MAU) in rural Norway resulting from the Coordination reform regarding occupancy-rate, patient characteristics and healthcare provided during the first four years of operation. Further, to investigate whether implementation of the new municipal service avoided acute hospital admissions. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: A two-bed municipal acute bed unit. SUBJECTS: All patients admitted to the unit between 2013 and 2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographics, comorbidity, main diagnoses and level of municipal care on admission and discharge, diagnostic and therapeutic initiatives, MAU occupancy rate, and acute hospital admission rate. RESULTS: Altogether, 389 admissions occurred, 215 first-time admissions and 174 readmissions. The mean MAU bed occupancy rate doubled from of 0.26 in 2013 to 0.50 in 2016, while acute hospital admission rates declined. The patients (median age 84.0 years, 48.9% women at first time admission) were most commonly admitted for infections (28.0%), observation (22.1%) or musculoskeletal symptoms (16.2%). Some 52.7% of the patients admitted from home were discharged to a higher care level; musculoskeletal problems as admission diagnosis predicted this (RR =1.43, 95% CI 1.20-1.71, adjusted for age and sex). CONCLUSION: Admission rates to MAU increased during the first years of operation. In the same period, there was a reduction in acute hospital admissions. Patient selection was largely in accordance with national and local criteria, including observational stays. Half the patients admitted from home were discharged to nursing home, suggesting that the unit was used as pathway to a higher municipal care level. Key Points Evaluation of the first four years of operation of a municipality acute bed unit (MAU) in rural Norway revealed: • Admission rates to MAU increased, timely coinciding with decreased acute admission rates to hospital medical wards. • Most patients were old and had complex health problems. • Only half the patients were discharged back home; musculoskeletal symptoms were associated with discharge to a higher care level.

Long-term efficacy and mortality in Parkinson's disease patients treated with subthalamic stimulation.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the clinical outcome and mortality of long-term deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in advanced Parkinson's disease. METHODS: We included all 144 patients (mean age, 60.3 years; mean disease duration, 11.0 years) treated in our center from 2001 to 2007. RESULTS: Twelve months after surgery, the off-medication Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score was reduced by a mean of 53%, and the annual increase after surgery was 3.2 points. The daily dose of dopaminergic medication was reduced by a mean of 49% and increased only marginally during follow-up. Twelve of the 144 patients died in the study period, including 2 suicides (1.4%). Survival was 97% after 3 years and 90% after 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms the stable efficacy of long-term subthalamic stimulation in selected patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Throughout the study the patient characteristics at time of surgery changed, with less severe disease and shorter disease duration toward the end of the study period.

[Resection of symptomatic intraspinal meningiomas]. / Reseksjon av symptomatiske intraspinale meningeomer.

BACKGROUND: Meningioma is one of the most common primary intraspinal tumours in adults. Most patients with this condition develop myelopathy or radiculopathy. The treatment of choice for these tumours is surgery, although few data are published on neurological outcome after surgery for intraspinal meningiomas. Patients are increasingly asking about the prognosis before they consent to surgery. This study aims at investigating operative morbidity and neurological outcome in a continuous surgical series in Norway. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The material comprised all 28 patients treated for histologically verified intraspinal meningioma at Rikshospitalet in the time period 1999 to 2003. All patients underwent new radiological and clinical assessments for study purposes. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION: We found that 96.5% of the patients were neurologically improved or unchanged after surgery. There was no recurrence, nor mortality. These findings match earlier reports in the literature. Morbidity was at 18%, this was higher than in other studies due to our wide definition of surgical morbidity. We conclude that surgery can be performed with excellent outcome, whilst the morbidity and mortality remain low.

[Treatment of movement disorders with deep brain stimulation]. / Behandling av bevegelsesforstyrrelser med dyp hjernestimulering.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation is an established symptomatic treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, tremor conditions and dystonia when medical treatment fails. We here present a review of indications and results for this treatment. We also present data om the activity related to patients with Parkinson's disease in a representative year and data on implantations performed Rikshospitalet University Hospital in the period 1999-2007. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The manuscript is based on non-systematic searches in PubMed, clinical experience, and internal statistics on implantations and clinical visits carried out at our centre. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION: 243 procedures were performed in our clinic in the period; 187 for Parkinson's disease, 37 for tremor and 19 for dystonia. The vast majority of patients have been implanted with bilateral electrodes, and the targets were the subthalamic nucleus, the thalamus and the internal segment of globus pallidus. Studies have demonstrated that deep brain stimulation is an effective treatment of selected patients with Parkinson's disease, tremors and primary dystonia. Many of these patients have no other efficient treatment options. Patients should be referred for preoperative assessment when symptoms of their movement disorder can no longer be treated sufficiently with medical therapies and when their quality of life is impaired. A broad and careful evaluation of patients' symptoms and findings is important for correct patient selection for this treatment.