PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation
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To find hidden reservoirs of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) via active surveillance cultures for MRSA and VRE in newly admitted patients. ⋯ We found a 16% incidence of a hidden reservoir of multiple drug-resistant organisms in patients admitted to rehabilitation hospitals. We believe that all patients admitted to a rehabilitation facility should be screened for MRSA and VRE.
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Comparative Study
The ligamentum flavum at L4-5: relationship with anthropomorphic factors and clinical findings in older persons with and without spinal disorders.
To examine the relationship between ligamentum flavum thickness and clinical spinal stenosis. ⋯ The measurement technique is standardized for the ligamentum flavum for future use. Although the ligamentum flavum appears to get thicker with age, other factors, including clinical diagnosis, pain, and function, do not appear to relate to the ligamentum flavum width.
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To compare the safety and efficacy of 3 low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) treatments (enoxaparin, 40 mg once daily, with an alternative LMWH, tinzaparin, 3500 or 4500 units once daily) for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) after acute spinal cord injury (SCI). ⋯ VTE was more prevalent in participants receiving tinzaparin 3500 units than in participants who received tinzaparin 4500 units or enoxaparin. Bleeding events were low with the use of LMWH for prophylaxis during acute rehabilitation. Although the use of prophylaxis before rehabilitation may be protective of VTE events, after we adjusted for VTE prophylaxis during rehabilitation, type of previous prophylaxis was not found to be significantly protective of VTE events during rehabilitation.