Natl Med J India
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Comparative Study
The Bologna Hospital-at-Home: a model for cost-effective care of advanced cancer patients in developing countries.
There are two options for India, if it intends to build up an adequate level of assistance for advanced cancer patients: increase the number of hospital beds (including hospice care); or introduce home care. We have used the home care approach in Italy and found it to be cost-effective. ⋯ Hospital-at-Home care merits consideration in the palliative care of advanced cancer patients in developing countries. Detailed quality of life studies and cost-benefit assessments would need to be done before such a strategy is implemented. The BHH could be a model adaptable to developing countries. Our first experiences with such a model in Albania and India were encouraging.
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Post-traumatic vasospasm after severe head injury is now a well known entity. However, all studies available in the literature have evaluated only the anterior cerebral circulation. We evaluated the incidence of basilar artery vasospasm in patients with severe head injury. ⋯ Basilar artery blood flow velocity is higher in patients with severe head injury. Patients with diffuse brain injury have a particularly high velocity. Thus, it may be an easy method to assess the severity of head injury. The temporal profile of basilar artery vasospasm needs to be established in severely head-injured patients to assess its clinical utility.