Arch Med Sci
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Heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospital readmission. Medicare home health services provide intermittent skilled nursing care to homebound Medicare beneficiaries. We examined whether discharge home health referral is associated with a lower risk of 30-day all-cause readmission in HF. ⋯ Hospitalized HF patients who received discharge home health services referral had a higher risk of 30-day and 1-year all-cause readmission and all-cause mortality, but not of HF readmission.
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Sexuality is an important factor in quality of life (QoL) and was reported to improve after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). However, one study group found evidence regarding a high rate of impaired erectile function of about 20% in male patients after TJA. As erectile dysfunction is a serious matter of concern and there are no data explaining this observation sufficiently, the purpose of this study was to revaluate the erectile function in patients after TJA. ⋯ The previously reported high rate of impaired erectile function after TJA of the lower extremity could not be confirmed. Total joint arthroplasty remains a safe procedure in terms of postoperative erectile function.
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We aim to highlight the utility of this model in the analysis of the psycho-behavioral implications of family cancer, presenting the scientific literature that used Leventhal's model as the theoretical framework of approach. ⋯ This model can generate interventions that are conceptually clear as well as useful in regulating the individuals' behaviors by reducing the risk of developing the disease and by managing as favorably as possible health and/or disease.
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Clinical studies have revealed that fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) of drugs can have a better effect on blood pressure than free-equivalent combinations (FECs). Our objectives were to perform an up-to-date assessment of the effectiveness of FDCs and FECs in antihypertensive therapy, to provide more accurate results by using a stratified meta-analysis. ⋯ In comparison with FECs, the FDC treatment is associated with a significant improvement in the cooperation between a doctor and a patient and with increased patients' adherence to the treatment schedule.
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The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficiency of the STOP-Bang questionnaire for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) screening among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). ⋯ The STOP-Bang questionnaire is an effective tool for OSA screening among Chinese patients with T2DM. A cut-off score of 3 distinguishes OSA from non-OSA with high sensitivity.