[Joint crisis plans in mental health hospitals-Real practice in an association of psychiatric hospitals]. / Behandlungsvereinbarungen in der Psychiatrie ­ reale Praxis in einem Verbund psychiatrischer Kliniken.

BACKGROUND: Joint crisis plans (JCPs) are offered in many psychiatric hospitals, but patients only rarely make use of them. OBJECTIVE: To assess the rates of JCPs among inpatients of mental health hospitals and to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients who make use of a JCP. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out a retrospective analysis of routine data from the statistical database/basis documentation of the LVR hospital association, which consists of nine psychiatric hospitals. The basis documentation is consistent in the nine hospitals. All admissions between 2016 and 2020 were considered. We recorded the existence of a JCP, age, gender and main diagnosis at release, as well as previous hospital stays, detention under the Mental Health Act of the Federal State of NRW and experiences with compulsory measures (seclusion/restraint) in the previous 24 months before index admission. RESULTS: Out of a total of 117,662 inpatients 467 (0.4%) had completed a JCP. Patients with JCP were more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or emotionally unstable personality disorder. Patients with a JCP had more previous inpatient stays and they had more frequently experienced detentions and compulsory measures. However, 50% of the patients with a JCP had other diagnoses and the vast majority of them had experienced no detention or compulsory measure in the 24 months preceding the first documentation of a JCP. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the use of JCPs is limited. The targeted group of patients with severe mental illness and previous experience with involuntary placements and compulsory measures make use of the offer of a JCP but so do other patients as well. Additional qualitative analyses are required in order to analyze the content and objectives of JCPs in more detail.

The 12-lead electrocardiogram in midseptal, anteroseptal, posteroseptal and right free wall accessory pathways.

The 12-lead electrocardiograms of 50 patients with 1 anterogradely conducting accessory pathway were analyzed to obtain characteristics of electrocardiographic findings in the midseptal, anteroseptal, true posteroseptal and right free wall accessory pathway locations. Locations were confirmed by surgery (33 patients) or radiofrequency catheter ablation (17 patients). This study analyzed (1) QRS in the frontal plane, (2) delta wave axis in the frontal plane, (3) the angle between QRS and delta wave axes, (4) the R/S ratio in lead III, (5) negativity of delta wave in inferior leads, and (6) the R/S ratio in precordial leads.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory atrioventricular pathways.

The acute anatomic and valvular consequences of radiofrequency catheter ablation of accessory pathways were evaluated in 62 patients by means of serial echocardiographic examinations. Semiquantitative assessment of valvular incompetence and classification into one of four grades according to the width and the extension of the jet from the valvular orifice were carried out. Segmental wall motion abnormalities were evaluated semiquantitatively with four grades of severity (normal, hypokinesia, akinesia, or dyskinesia). New echocardiographic abnormalities were observed in five patients. One thrombus on the ventricular aspect of the mitral valve, three hemodynamically insignificant pericardial effusions, and one increase in severity of tricuspid incompetence were found 1 day after radiofrequency catheter ablation. We conclude that echocardiographic changes after radiofrequency ablation of accessory pathways are rare and of minor significance. These findings confirm the safety of the procedure.

Recurrence rate after accessory pathway ablation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate characteristics of patients and accessory pathways as well as additional technical factors involved in the reappearance of accessory pathway conduction after successful ablation. DESIGN: Analysis of recurrences after radiofrequency ablation. SETTING: 163 consecutive patients with 167 accessory pathways. SUBJECTS: 97 men and 66 women with a mean (SD) age of 36 (14) range (11 to 75) years. RESULTS: After a mean (SD) follow up of 14 (7) range (2 to 27) months, conduction recurred in 13 out of 167 (7.8%) accessory pathways. The initial manifestation of recurrence was circus movement tachycardia in 7 patients and reappearance of delta waves on a 12 lead electrocardiogram in 6 patients. The interval to the return of accessory pathway conduction ranged from 3 hours to 90 days. Age, sex, presence of multiple accessory pathways, criteria to determine the target ablation site, number and duration of radiofrequency applications, and cumulative energy did not significantly differ between the groups with recurrence and without. Recurrence was less common with concealed accessory pathways (2/44) than with overt accessory pathways (11/110). The difference was not significant. The only variable to influence the recurrences in this study group was the location of the accessory pathway. Reappearance of conduction through right sided accessory pathways occurred significantly more often than through left sided ones (8/40 v 5/114, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: After radiofrequency ablation the recurrence rate of accessory pathways is low and there are no predictors of the risk of reappearance of conduction apart from the right sided location of the accessory pathway.