European journal of internal medicine
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · May 2008
Admission characteristics predicting longer length of stay among elderly patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure.
Acutely decompensated heart failure (HF) has become the leading cause of hospitalization for people aged 65 or older. Hospital length of stay (LOS) is a key determinant of higher hospitals costs. The aim of our study is to identify the admission characteristics that predict a longer LOS for elderly patients admitted for an acute exacerbation of HF. ⋯ In elderly patients admitted for decompensated HF, the female gender and a worse functional class at the time of admission were associated with a longer subsequent LOS.
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Obesity, one of the most prevalent health problems in the Western world, is a chronic and progressive condition. Therefore, as with other chronic diseases, patients with obesity require lifelong treatment. Long-term efficacy and effectiveness of obesity treatments is notoriously poor. ⋯ Health professionals need to take care to identify, acknowledge and address these barriers where possible to increase patient success as well as compliance and adherence with treatments. Failure to do so may further undermine the sense of failure, low self esteem and self efficacy already common among obese individuals. Addressing treatment barriers can save resources and increase the prospect of long-term success.
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Eur. J. Intern. Med. · May 2008
Case ReportsStridor secondary to hypocalcemia in the elderly: an unusual presentation.
Though hypocalcemic stridor is a well-recognized pediatric emergency, it has rarely been reported in the elderly, and hypocalcemia of nutritional origin presenting with stridor in this group has not previously been reported. We report an elderly patient who presented with stridor and intermittent sudden airway obstruction resulting from laryngospasm secondary to hypocalcemia of nutritional origin and we present a brief review of this life-threatening complication of hypocalcemia.