Ugeskrift for laeger
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Jun 2003
Comparative Study[Cost-of-illness of asthma in Denmark in the year 2000].
The total number of asthmatic patients in Denmark in the year 2000 was about 300,000 out of a total population of 5.3 million. The aim of this study was to evaluate cost-of-illness for all asthma patients in Denmark for the year 2000. ⋯ The estimated cost is consistent with data from other national and international sources, suggesting that our estimate be close to the real cost. Costs due to asthma may be expected to increase due to the increase in prevalence of asthma.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Jun 2003
[Acute normovolemic hemodilution combined with inhibition of fibrinolysis and use of cell saver in total hip arthroplasty].
Transfusion with homologous blood is not without costs for the recipient: An increased risk of postoperative infections must be anticipated, and the risk of transfusion-transmitted viral infections is of growing concern. This has increased the interest for methods which can reduce the need for intraoperative blood transfusion. The goal of this study was to determine if acute normovolemic hemodilution combined with fibrinolytic inhibition and the use of cell saver can reduce the need for homologous blood transfusion in total hip arthroplasty compared to the cellsaver technique alone. ⋯ Although the cell saving technique is effective in total hip arthroplasty, this study demonstrates that a further reduction of blood loss and homologous blood transfusion can be achieved by combining the method with acute normovolemic hemodilution and pharmacological inhibition of fibrinolysis.
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Reflex dystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a neuropathic pain condition in a limb after a trauma. Pain is not limited to one or more dermatomes and there is a disproportion between the intensity of the pain and the eliciting trauma. Among physicians in Denmark it is not common knowledge that CRPS also affects children. ⋯ The treatment should be administered by a multi-disciplinary team. The incidence of CRPS in children in Denmark is unknown but the condition is probably under-diagnosed. Early diagnosis and active treatment may reduce the duration of the condition considerably.
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Surgery for hip fracture represents a major challenge due to high postoperative morbidity and need for postoperative rehabilitation. Recent literature documents the need for increased use of regional anaesthesia, early surgery, fluid management to optimise preoperative haemodynamic function and avoidance of postoperative fluid excess, early oral nutrition and postoperative opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia. The future strategy should include combined use of all treatment modalities within the context of "fast-track rehabilitation".