background: to determine the mean and median delays in pulmonary tuberculosis (ptb) diagnosis among adults in one of the world’s highest gross domestic product per capita countries and identify patient and health system‑related reasons for these delays. methods: this is a cross‑sectional, face‑to‑face, prospective study of 100 subjects with confirmed ptb, conducted at main tuberculosis (tb) adm...

INTRODUCTION The costs of a Da Vinci® device for robot- assisted surgery, in particular for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), can be a considerable issue for hospitals with limited caseloads. MATERIALS AND METHODS Since January 2011 the cantonal hospitals of Lucerne and St. Gallen (Switzerland) have shared a four-arm Da Vinci® device, transferring the surgical know-how by a Lucerne...

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the impact of feet callosities, arm posture, and use of electrolyte wipes on body composition measurements by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in morbidly obese adults. METHODS 36 morbidly obese patients (13 males, aged 28-70 years, BMI 41.6 ± 4.3 kg/m2) with moderate/severe feet callosities participated in this study. Body composition (percent body fat (%...

We report the mid-term results of a new patellofemoral arthroplasty for established isolated patellofemoral arthritis. We have reviewed the experience of 109 consecutive patellofemoral resurfacing arthroplasties in 85 patients who were followed up for at least five years. The five-year survival rate, with revision as the endpoint, was 95.8% (95% confidence interval 91.8% to 99.8%). There were n...

OBJECTIVES Solid-organ transplant recipients may require percutaneous dilational tracheotomy because of prolonged mechanical ventilation or airway issues, but data regarding its safety and effectiveness in solid-organ transplant recipients are scarce. Here, we evaluated the safety, effectiveness, and benefits in terms of lung mechanics, complications, and patient comfort of percutaneous dilatio...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Lactate is central for the regulation of brain metabolism and is an alternative substrate to glucose after injury. Brain lactate metabolism in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage has not been fully elucidated. METHODS Thirty-one subarachnoid hemorrhage patients monitored with cerebral microdialysis (CMD) and brain oxygen (PbtO(2)) were studied. Samples with elevated C...

We present a prospective review of the two-year functional outcome of 37 Avon patellofemoral joint replacements carried out in 29 patients with a mean age of 66 years (30 to 82) between October 2002 and March 2007. No patients were lost to follow-up. This is the first independent assessment of this prosthesis using both subjective and objective analysis of outcome. At two years the median Oxfor...

BACKGROUND Despite widespread awareness of the necessity of early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), evidence is still limited, in part, due to the complex nature of ASDs. This exploratory study aimed to examine the change across time in young children with autism and their mothers, who received less intensive early interventions with and without applied behavior a...