Ugeskrift for laeger
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Mar 2009
[The effect of length of stay and number of relocations on asylum-seeking children's mental health--secondary publication].
Among asylum-seeking children aged 4-16 years living in the asylum centres managed by the Danish Red Cross in 2006, we investigated mental health in relation to length of stay and number of relocations. Mental health was evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We found that children who had been asylum-seeking for more than one year had an increased risk of having mental difficulties (odds ratio 5.5; 95% confidence interval 1.8-16.3); four or more relocations in the asylum system were also associated with a higher risk of mental problems (odds ratio 3,0; 1,4-6,7).
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Mar 2009
[Mini clinical evaluation exercise as evaluation tool of communicative and cooperative skills in the outpatient clinic].
In the revised Danish medical specialist training increased focus has been placed on competences which are hard to evaluate such as communication skills. Mini-CEX seems promising as an evaluation tool. Our aim was to test: 1) whether mini-CEX was useable in the evaluation of communicative and cooperative skills and 2) whether mini-CEX would provide reproducible data. ⋯ The mini-CEX is a promising tool for the evaluation of communicative and cooperative skills.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Mar 2009
[Fusobacterium necrophorum: from tonsillitis to Lemierre's syndrome].
Fusobacterium necrophorum plays a role in non-GAS-tonsillitis in adolescents and probably also in small children with recurrent otitis media. Anaerobic culture on selective anaerobic media is recommended to detect F. necrophorum and treat such patients. Denmark sees at least 20 annual cases of Lemierre's syndrome with a mortality reaching 9%. Early suspicion of Lemierre's syndrome in adolescents with non-GAS-tonsillitis, who develop septicaemia, pulmonary symptoms and unilateral swelling on the neck, is mandatory to lower morbidity and mortality.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Mar 2009
[Brain injury marker S100B can reduce the use of computer tomography in minor head injuries--secondary publication].
The risk of acute intracranial complications after minor head injury (MHI) is low. Despite this, computed tomography (CT) is generally recommended with clinical observation as a secondary option. ⋯ The specificity of S100B is low, but a high sensitivity for brain damage results in a clinically useful, high negative predictive value (NPV). Integration of S100B into existing management routines can reduce the need for CT scans or admission by over 30%.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Mar 2009
[Evidence-based pharmacological interventions in intensive therapy].
Very few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in intensive care units and using mortality as their primary outcome have shown a beneficial effect of pharmacological intervention on survival. Other types of evidence than the RCT should therefore be considered. Observational studies (clinical epidemiological studies) based on public registers and clinical databases have shown good agreement with the results from RCTs. The populations of Denmark and the remaining Scandinavian countries are well-registered and as such an ideal base for clinical, epidemiological studies supplementing the RCTs.