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Abstract Background Whether reducing time-to-surgery for elderly patients suffering from hip fracture results in better outcomes remains subject to controversial debates. Methods As part of a prospective observational study conducted between January 2002 and September 2003 on hip-fracture patients from 268 acute-care hospitals all over Germany, we investigated the relationship of time-to-surgery with frequency of post-operative complications and one-year mortality in elderly patients (age ≥65) with isolated proximal femoral fracture (femoral neck fracture or pertrochanteric femoral fracture). Patients with short (≤12 h), medium (> 12 h to ≤36 h) and long (> 36 h) times-to-surgery, counting from the time of the fracture event, were compared for patient characteristics, operative procedures, post-operative complications and one-year mortality. Results Hospital data were available for 2916 hip-fracture patients (mean age (SD) in years: 82.1 (7.4), median age: 82; 79.7% women). Comparison of groups with short (n = 802), medium (n = 1191) and long (n = 923) time-to-surgery revealed statistically significant differences in a few patient characteristics (age, American Society of Anesthesiologists ratings classification and type of admission) and in operative procedures (total hip endoprosthesis, hemi-endoprosthetic implants, other osteosynthetic procedures). However, comparison of these same groups for frequency of postoperative complications revealed only some non-significant associations with certain complications such as post-operative bleeding requiring treatment (early surgery patients) and urinary tract infections (delayed surgery patients). Both unadjusted rates of one-year all-cause mortality (between 18.1% and 20.5%), and the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR for time-to-surgery: 1.04; p = 0.55) showed no association between mortality and time-to-surgery. Conclusion Although this study found a trend toward more frequent post-operative complications in the longest time-to-surgery group, there was no effect of time-to-surgery on mortality. Shorter time-to-surgery may be associated with somewhat lower rates of post-operative complications such as decubitus ulcers, urinary tract infections, thromboses, pneumonia and cardiovascular events, and with somewhat higher rates of others such as post-operative bleeding or implant complications.

Abstract Background Distal radius and proximal femoral fractures are typical injuries in later life, predominantly due to simple falls, but modulated by other relevant factors such as osteoporosis. Fracture incidence rates rise with age. Because of the growing proportion of elderly people in Western industrialized societies, the number of these fractures can be expected to increase further in the coming years, and with it the burden on healthcare resources. Our study therefore assessed the effects of these injuries on the health status of older people over time. The purpose of this paper is to describe the study method, clinical parameters of fracture patients during hospitalization, mortality up to one and a half years after discharge in relation to various factors such as type of fracture, and to describe changes in mobility and living situation. Methods Data were collected from all consecutive patients (no age limit) admitted to 423 hospitals throughout Germany with distal radius or femoral fractures (57% acute-care, femoral and forearm fractures; 43% rehabilitation, femoral fractures only) between January 2002 and September 2003. Polytrauma and coma patients were excluded. Demographic characteristics, exact fracture location, mobility and living situation, clinical and laboratory parameters were examined. Current health status was assessed in telephone interviews conducted on average 6–7 months after discharge. Where telephone contact could not be established, at least survival status (living/deceased/date of death) was determined. Results The study population consisted of 12,520 femoral fracture patients (86.8% hip fractures), average age 77.5 years, 76.5% female, and 2,031 forearm fracture patients, average age 67.6 years, 81.6% female. Women's average age was 6.6 (femoral fracture) to 10 years (forearm fracture) older than men's (p < 0.0001). Only 4.6% of femoral fracture patients experienced changes in their living situation post-discharge (53% because of the fracture event), although less than half of subjects who were able to walk without assistive devices prior to the fracture event (76.7%) could still do so at time of interview (34.9%). At time of interview, 1.5% of subjects were bed-ridden (0.2% before fracture). Forearm fracture patients reported no change in living situation at all. Of the femoral fracture patients 119 (0.95%), and of the forearm fracture patients 3 (0.15%) died during hospital stay. Post-discharge (follow-up one and a half years) 1,463 femoral fracture patients died (19.2% acute-care patients, 8.5% rehabilitation patients), but only 60 forearm fracture patients (3.0%). Ninety percent of femoral fracture deaths happened within the first year, approximately 66% within the first 6 months. More acute-care patients with a pertrochanteric fracture died within one year post-discharge (20.6%) than patients with a cervical fracture (16.1%). Conclusion Mortality after proximal femoral fracture is still alarmingly high and highest after pertrochanteric fracture. Although at time of interview more than half of femoral fracture patients reported reduced mobility, most patients (96%) attempt to live at home. Since forearm fracture patients were on average 10 years younger than femoral fracture patients, forearm fractures may be a means of diagnosing an increased risk of later hip fractures.

Background: The largest German study on place of death was performed for deaths in selected regions of Westphalia in the years 2001 and 2011. In the period thereafter, provision of palliative care was regionally expanded. This upgrade included the establishment of palliative medicine consultation services (PMCS), combining general and specialized palliative care on an outpatient basis. A follow-up place of death survey took place in 2017. The aim was to depict the trends in place of death between 2001 and 2017. A second goal was to determine how often outpatient PMCS were used by persons who died in 2017. Methods: Descriptive analysis of place of death as specified in all death certificates (2001, 2011, 2017) issued in the cities of Bochum and Münster and the districts of Borken and Coesfeld. Comparison of pseudonymized data on deceased patients (2017) treated by the PMCS of Münster and Coesfeld with the place of death database to ascertain the rate of PMCS care at the end of life. Results: A total of 38 954 death certificates were analyzed, and 5887 deaths were compared with PCMS data. The distribution of place of death was as follows: (2001, 2011, 2017; age standardized; %): own residence 27.8; 23.3; 21.3; hospital: 55.8; 51.8; 51.8; palliative care unit: 0.0; 1.0; 6.2; hospice: 1.9; 4.5; 4.8; nursing home: 13.1; 18.6; 20.4; other: 1.2; 1.2; 1.5. The rate of PMCS use was 28.8% (1694/5887). Conclusion: Over the period 2001-2017, the proportion of people who died at home or in the hospital went down, while the number who died in a palliative care unit, hospice, or nursing home increased. In the city of Münster and the district of Coesfeld, one fourth of the people who died in 2017 received PMCS care at the end of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer care including aggressive treatment procedures during the last phase of life in patients with incurable cancer has increasingly come under scrutiny, while integrating specialist palliative care at an early stage is regarded as indication for high quality end-of-life patient care. Aim: To describe the demographic and clinical characteristics and the medical care provided at the end of life of cancer patients who died in a German university hospital. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study on the basis of anonymized hospital data for cancer patients who died in the Munich University Hospital in 2014. Descriptive analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses for factors influencing the administration of aggressive treatment procedures at the end of life. Results: Overall, 532 cancer patients died. Mean age was 66.8 years, 58.5% were men. 110/532 (20.7%) decedents had hematologic malignancies and 422/532 (79.3%) a solid tumor. Patients underwent the following medical interventions in the last 7/30 days: chemotherapy (7.7%/38.3%), radiotherapy (2.6%/6.4%), resuscitation (8.5%/10.5%), surgery (15.2%/31.0%), renal replacement therapy (12.0%/16.9%), blood transfusions (21.2%/39.5%), CT scan (33.8%/60.9%). In comparison to patients with solid tumors, patients with hematologic malignancies were more likely to die in intensive care (25.4% vs. 49.1%; p = 0.001), and were also more likely to receive blood transfusions (OR 2.21; 95% CI, 1.36 to 3.58; p = 0.001) and renal replacement therapy (OR 2.65; 95% CI, 1.49 to 4.70; p = 0.001) in the last 7 days of life. Contact with the hospital palliative care team had been initiated in 161/532 patients (30.3%). In 87/161 cases (54.0%), the contact was initiated within the last week of the patient’s life. Conclusions: Overambitious treatments are still reality at the end of life in cancer patients in hospital but patients with solid tumors and hematologic malignancies have to be differentiated. More efforts are necessary for the timely inclusion of specialist palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Isoflurane has shown better control of intensive care sedation than propofol or midazolam and seems to be a useful alternative. However, its effect on survival remains unclear.Objective: The objective of this study is to compare mortality after sedation with either isoflurane or propofol/midazolam.Design: A retrospective analysis of data in a hospital database for a cohort of consecutive patients.Setting: Sixteen-bed interdisciplinary surgical ICU of a German university hospital.Patients: Consecutive cohort of 369 critically ill surgical patients defined within the database of the hospital information system. All patients were continuously ventilated and sedated for more than 96 h between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2010. After excluding 169 patients (93 >79 years old, 10 <40 years old, 46 mixed sedation, 20 lost to follow-up), 200 patients were studied, 72 after isoflurane and 128 after propofol/midazolam.Interventions: Sedation with isoflurane using the AnaConDa system compared with intravenous sedation with propofol or midazolam.Main Outcome Measures: Hospital mortality (primary) and 365-day mortality (secondary) were compared with the Kaplan-Meier analysis and a log-rank test. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) [with 95% confidence interval (95% CI)] were calculated by logistic regression analyses to determine the risk of death after isoflurane sedation.Results: After sedation with isoflurane, the in-hospital mortality and 365-day mortality were significantly lower than after propofol/midazolam sedation: 40 versus 63% (P = 0.005) and 50 versus 70% (P = 0.013), respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders (coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute renal failure, creatinine, age and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II), patients after isoflurane were at a lower risk of death during their hospital stay (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.68, P = 0.002) and within the first 365 days (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.21 to 0.81, P = 0.010).Conclusion: Compared with propofol/midazolam sedation, long-term sedation with isoflurane seems to be well tolerated in this group of critically ill patients after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the impact of homozygosity in the A69S-SNP of the LOC387715-gene, smoking history, and their interaction on visual functional status (v-FS) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: The Muenster Aging and Retina Study (MARS) cohort (n = 656; 58.8% women, mean age 70.2 years) was followed over a mean of 2.5 years. AMD-status, genotype and smoking history were assessed at baseline. V-FS [from 0 (low) to 100 (unimpaired) points in general-, near- and far-vision], were AMD-status assessed at baseline and at follow-up. Linear models with stepwise adjustments for covariates were used to analyze decline of v-FS over time. Results: In initial models, homozygosity for the A69S-variant was negatively associated with all three dimensions of the v-FS. After including smoking history, ever smoking was negatively associated with declines in near and far vision (-4.82 and -5.12 points, respectively; each p < 0.05). In smokers homozygous for the A69S-variant the number of cigarettes smoked per day (smoking intensity) was negatively associated with all three dimensions of the v-FS (interaction term each p < 0.05). Time since smoking cessation in former smokers protected against declines in near and far vision. These effects were independent of the AMD-status at baseline. Conclusions: The interaction of homozygosity for the A69S-variant and smoking intensity had a negative impact on general-, near-, and far visual functional status independent of AMD-status. Quitting smoking seemed to have a time-dependent protective effect on near and far vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Distal radius and proximal femoral fractures are typical injuries in later life, predominantly due to simple falls, but modulated by other relevant factors such as osteoporosis. Fracture incidence rates rise with age. Because of the growing proportion of elderly people in Western industrialized societies, the number of these fractures can be expected to increase further in the coming years, and with it the burden on healthcare resources. Our study therefore assessed the effects of these injuries on the health status of older people over time. The purpose of this paper is to describe the study method, clinical parameters of fracture patients during hospitalization, mortality up to one and a half years after discharge in relation to various factors such as type of fracture, and to describe changes in mobility and living situation. Methods: Data were collected from all consecutive patients (no age limit) admitted to 423 hospitals throughout Germany with distal radius or femoral fractures (57% acute-care, femoral and forearm fractures; 43% rehabilitation, femoral fractures only) between January 2002 and September 2003. Polytrauma and coma patients were excluded. Demographic characteristics, exact fracture location, mobility and living situation, clinical and laboratory parameters were examined. Current health status was assessed in telephone interviews conducted on average 6-7 months after discharge. Where telephone contact could not be established, at least survival status (living/deceased/date of death) was determined. Results: The study population consisted of 12,520 femoral fracture patients (86.8% hip fractures), average age 77.5 years, 76.5% female, and 2,031 forearm fracture patients, average age 67.6 years, 81.6% female. Women's average age was 6.6 (femoral fracture) to 10 years (forearm fracture) older than men's (p < 0.0001). Only 4.6% of femoral fracture patients experienced changes in their living situation post-discharge (53% because of the fracture event), although less than half of subjects who were able to walk without assistive devices prior to the fracture event (76.7%) could still do so at time of interview (34.9%). At time of interview, 1.5% of subjects were bed-ridden (0.2% before fracture). Forearm fracture patients reported no change in living situation at all. Of the femoral fracture patients 119 (0.95%), and of the forearm fracture patients 3 (0.15%) died during hospital stay. Post-discharge (follow-up one and a half years) 1,463 femoral fracture patients died (19.2% acute-care patients, 8.5% rehabilitation patients), but only 60 forearm fracture patients (3.0%). Ninety percent of femoral fracture deaths happened within the first year, approximately 66% within the first 6 months. More acute-care patients with a pertrochanteric fracture died within one year post-discharge (20.6%) than patients with a cervical fracture (16.1%). Conclusion: Mortality after proximal femoral fracture is still alarmingly high and highest after pertrochanteric fracture. Although at time of interview more than half of femoral fracture patients reported reduced mobility, most patients (96%) attempt to live at home. Since forearm fracture patients were on average 10 years younger than femoral fracture patients, forearm fractures may be a means of diagnosing an increased risk of later hip fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether reducing time-to-surgery for elderly patients suffering from hip fracture results in better outcomes remains subject to controversial debates.Methods: As part of a prospective observational study conducted between January 2002 and September 2003 on hip-fracture patients from 268 acute-care hospitals all over Germany, we investigated the relationship of time-to-surgery with frequency of post-operative complications and one-year mortality in elderly patients (age > or =65) with isolated proximal femoral fracture (femoral neck fracture or pertrochanteric femoral fracture). Patients with short (< or =12 h), medium (> 12 h to < or =36 h) and long (> 36 h) times-to-surgery, counting from the time of the fracture event, were compared for patient characteristics, operative procedures, post-operative complications and one-year mortality.Results: Hospital data were available for 2916 hip-fracture patients (mean age (SD) in years: 82.1 (7.4), median age: 82; 79.7% women). Comparison of groups with short (n = 802), medium (n = 1191) and long (n = 923) time-to-surgery revealed statistically significant differences in a few patient characteristics (age, American Society of Anesthesiologists ratings classification and type of admission) and in operative procedures (total hip endoprosthesis, hemi-endoprosthetic implants, other osteosynthetic procedures). However, comparison of these same groups for frequency of postoperative complications revealed only some non-significant associations with certain complications such as post-operative bleeding requiring treatment (early surgery patients) and urinary tract infections (delayed surgery patients). Both unadjusted rates of one-year all-cause mortality (between 18.1% and 20.5%), and the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HR for time-to-surgery: 1.04; p = 0.55) showed no association between mortality and time-to-surgery.Conclusion: Although this study found a trend toward more frequent post-operative complications in the longest time-to-surgery group, there was no effect of time-to-surgery on mortality. Shorter time-to-surgery may be associated with somewhat lower rates of post-operative complications such as decubitus ulcers, urinary tract infections, thromboses, pneumonia and cardiovascular events, and with somewhat higher rates of others such as post-operative bleeding or implant complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to a lack of data, it is unknown if and how frequently in-patients with severe stroke are discharged to free-standing hospice facilities in Germany., Methods: Patients aged 18 or over who had been hospitalized for ischemic stroke (IS) (International Statistical Classification of Diseases, ICD-10: I63), intracerebral bleeding (ICB) (ICD-10: I61), or subarachnoid bleeding (SAB) (ICD-10: I60) were investigated. The analysis was based on data from the Northwest-German Stroke Registry from 2017 to 2020. The aim was to determine the frequency (crude/age-standardized) of hospital discharges to hospices. In addition, factors influencing the primary outcome, hospital discharge to a free-standing hospice, were assessed using multivariate logistic regression., Results: A total of 339,513 cases of hospitalized patients diagnosed with stroke were recorded, comprising 308,067 (90.7%) with IS, 26,957 (7.9%) with ICB, and 4,489 (1.3%) with SAB. Their mean age was 73.1±13.1 years, and 52.6% were men. During hospitalization, 26,037 patients died (7.7%), including 18,623 with IS, 6,818 with ICB, and 596 with SAB. A total of 497 patients were transferred to a hospice (IS: 414, ICB: 76, SAB: 7). The corresponding (age-standardized) frequencies were as follows [95% confidence interval (CI)]: all patients, 0.05% (0.04-0.06%); IS, 0.05% (0.04-0.06%); ICB, 0.07% (0.05-0.09%); SAB, 0.01% (0.00-0.02%). Independent influencing factors that were identified included nursing-home care prior to hospitalization [odds ratio (OR) 0.34, 95% CI: 0.25-0.44], impaired vigilance on admission (OR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.39-2.10), severe functional impairment at hospital discharge (modified Rankin scale 5 vs. 0-2: OR 34.78, 95% CI: 22.94-52.75), and determination of a palliative care treatment goal during hospitalization (OR 14.22, 95% CI: 11.32-17.87)., Conclusions: In-patients with severe stroke are hardly ever discharged to free-standing hospice facilities in Germany. The reasons for this may be complex, including an acute course in severe stroke, inadequate perception by physicians of these patients' need for palliative care, and structural conditions in long-term care for patients outside the hospital.

Background: The opportunities available for maintaining and prolonging life in modern medicine give rise to medical-ethical dilemmas in patients at the end of life, raising the question of whether intensified treatment and diagnosis is appropriate in these patients. This affects hospital patients in particular., Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study from Germany analyzed hospital records of all deceased patients of a university hospital who died between October 2016 and September 2017. The prevalence of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures during the last 14 days before death was determined. In-hospital transfer practices shortly before patients' deaths were also examined., Results: A total of 468 hospital patients died. The mean age at death was 76.3±13.7 years; 47.0% [220] were female; 12.0% [56] died on the day of hospital admission, 41.9% [196] 1 to 6 days and 46.1% [216] more than 6 days later; the case mix index (CMI) was 4.6. The majority of patients {57.1% [267]} died on intensive care unit (ICU). Therapeutic and diagnostic procedures within the last 14 days before death: 30.3% [142] resuscitation, 28.6% [134] surgery, 10.9% [51] extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), 23.7% [111] renal replacement therapy, 4.3% [20] tracheostomy, 2.8% [13] PTCA/cardiac stenting, 1.9% [9] chemotherapy, 29.3% [137] transfusion of packed red blood cells, 13.7% [64] transfusion of prothrombin complex concentrate, 5.3% [25] cardiac catheter examination, 7.5% [35] upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, 79.1% [370] chest X-ray, 41.9% [196] computed tomography. In-hospital transfer from ICU to PCU before patients' death: 1.5% (4/274 ICU patients)., Conclusions: Intensified therapeutic and diagnostic procedures are often performed at the end of life in hospital patients. Closer interdisciplinary cooperation between intensive care and palliative care would be beneficial to improve in-patient care for these patients.

Background: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a medical emergency intervention aimed at ending a life-threatening cardiovascular arrest as quickly as possible. However, the medical ethics of starting CPR in patients who have incurable and terminal disease is a matter of controversy. This ethical dilemma affects cancer patients in particular, as they are often suffering from advanced disease in a palliative situation. Few data are as yet available concerning the prevalence of CPR in patients with terminal cancer., Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out on the basis of death certificates of two large cities in Germany evaluated for 2017. Medical data on resuscitation and cause of death were analyzed. Cancer patients with or without a palliative situation were identified, and the prevalence of resuscitation in these patients was determined. In addition, factors influencing resuscitation were calculated using binary multivariate regression., Results: A total of 8,496 persons died, 32.1% of whom [2,723] were cancer patients. A palliative situation was present in 80.9% of the cancer patients [2,202]. A total of 163 cancer patients and 1,006 individuals without cancer were resuscitated at the end of life, representing prevalences of 6.0% (95% CI, 5.1-6.9%) and 17.4% (95% CI, 16.4-18.4%), respectively. Cancer patients with a palliative disease status received CPR in 3.4% of cases (95% CI, 2.6-4.2%). More than half of the resuscitations were performed in hospital (57.7% of resuscitated persons and 68.7% of cancer patients). Sex, age, presence of a palliative situation, and care provided by a specialized outpatient palliative service were found to be independent influencing factors., Conclusions: Six in 100 cancer patients, and slightly more than three in 100 cancer patients with a palliative disease status, undergo CPR at the end of their lives. Thus, the indication for resuscitation in advanced cancer patients is handled with care and responsibility in Germany.

Background: Hospitals represent the most frequent place of death in Germany. Therefore, these health institutions should be adequately prepared for post-death caring for deceased patients and their bereaved relatives. To enable the next of kin a dignified farewell to the deceased in a private atmosphere, some hospitals have established a bereavement room. To date, no data exist on the prevalence of bereavement rooms at German hospitals., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study at all German hospitals with 100 or more beds for the year 2016. A questionnaire was used to collect data on the existence, structure and organization of bereavement rooms. The data were presented descriptively by analyzing absolute and relative frequencies. The prevalence of bereavement rooms was derived from these calculated numbers., Results: Of the 1,281 eligible hospitals, a total of 301 hospitals participated (23.5%). A bereavement room existed at 230 hospitals, corresponding to a prevalence of 76.4% (230/301) for the participating hospitals. Concerning all German hospitals ≥100 beds, a prevalence of at least 17.9% (230/1,281) was determined. These special rooms existed most commonly for a duration of 10 to 25 years (39.1%); were mainly located near an autopsy room (46.5%) and in the basement (31.3%); were used very frequently (30.9%), moderately (37.4%) or rarely (24.8%); were mostly designed with esthetic features like flowers and candles (80.4%) and often equipped with religious symbols (79.1%), and had air conditioning in only 37.4% of respondent answers. The responsibility for the bereavement room had mainly been transferred to the hospital pastoral care and the nursing staff., Conclusions: In 2016, less than one in five German hospitals ≥100 beds provided a bereavement room. This may indicate that more attention should be paid to the post-death care of deceased patients and bereaved relatives in hospitals.

Background: In Germany, data on place of death is recorded from death certificates, but not further analyzed. Consequently, hardly any information is available at the population level regarding the distribution of place of death (e.g. home, hospital, palliative care unit, nursing home, hospice)., Methods: We carried out a descriptive statistical analysis of the registered places of death in evaluated death certificates from selected areas of Westphalia-Lippe for the years 2001 and 2011. Factors affecting the place of death were determined with binary multivariate regression., Results: We analyzed 24 009 death certificates (11 585 for 2001 and 12 424 for 2011). The distribution of places of death for the overall population was as follows (2001 vs. 2011): at home, 27.5% vs. 23.0% (p<0.001); in the hospital, 57.6% vs. 51.2% (p<0.001); on a palliative care unit, 0.0% vs. 1.0%, in a care or nursing home, 12.2% vs. 19.0% (p<0.001); in a hospice, 2.0% vs. 4.6% (p<0.001); elsewhere, 0.6% vs. 0.6% (p = 0.985); not indicated, 0.1% vs. 0.6% (p<0.001). Independent factors affecting the place of death were age, sex, place of residence, and the presence of cancer or of dementia., Conclusion: Most people in Germany die in institutions; the most common place of death is still the hospital, where more than half of all deaths take place. Only one death in four occurs at home. There is a marked secular trend away from dying at home or in the hospital, in favor of dying in a care or nursing home; death in palliative care units and hospices is also becoming more common.

Background: We observed an increased rate of pulmonary complications (hypoxemia, pulmonary edema, re-intubation) in some patients after posterior spinal fusion, though standardized intraoperative volume regimens for major surgery were used. Therefore, we focused on the effects of two different standardized fluid regimens (liberal vs. conventional) as well as on two different types of postoperative pain management (thoracic epidural catheter vs. intravenous analgesia) concerning pulmonary function in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion., Methods: 23 patients received a conventional intraoperative fluid management (crystalloids 5.5 ml/kg/h), whereas 22 patients obtained a liberal regimen (crystalloids approximately 11 ml/kg/h) during surgery. After surgery a thoracic epidural catheter was used in 29 patients, whereas 16 patients got a conventional intravenous analgesia. Regarding pulmonary outcome, the re-intubation rate, the postoperative oxygen saturations as well as delivery volumes and retention times of pleural drainages were evaluated., Results: Patients with conventional intraoperative fluid management had a less frequent reintubation rate (p = 0.015), better postoperative oxygen saturations (p = 0.043) and lower delivery volumes of pleural drainages (p = 0.027) compared to those patients with liberal volume regimen. Patients with thoracic epidural catheter had improved oxygen saturations on pulse oximetry at the first day after surgery (p < 0.001) and lower delivery volumes of pleural drainages than patients with intravenous analgesia (p = 0.008)., Conclusions: The combination of a more restrictive fluid management (better pulmonary oxygen uptake and ventilation, less pulmonary edema) and a thoracic epidural catheter (sympatholysis, pain management) in posterior spinal fusion may be advantageous as both factors can improve pulmonary outcome.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment on the basis of medical history, at hospital discharge, and 6-12 months after discharge, as well as to assess the frequency of subsequent fractures in postmenopausal women with distal radius fracture., Research Design and Methods: A prospective, observational study of hospitalized women aged 55 years and older with an isolated distal radius fracture from minimal trauma. Subjects were recruited in 242 acute care hospitals in Germany., Outcome Measures: Potential risk factors for osteoporosis, frequency of osteoporosis assessment, frequency of medication treatment and subsequent fractures 6-12 months after discharge., Results: Among 2031 patients we identified 652 appropriate postmenopausal women. Less than one-third of patient histories contained any bone density parameters, and only a minority of subjects (33%, 217) underwent bone density assessment while in hospital. Of these, 55% (119) were diagnosed with low bone density, yet only 30% of those were prescribed supplements (calcium/vitamin D) and/or specific osteoporosis medication (mostly bisphosphonates) at discharge. Six to twelve months after hospital discharge, the low rate of treatment had not changed substantially. In the interval, 4.3% had sustained a subsequent fracture from minimal trauma: 1.4% a distal radius fracture (0.3% a refracture) and 2.9% a hip joint or other fracture (not specified). A significant age difference between those with and without subsequent distal radius fractures was found (p = 0.01) but not a significant difference between patients with or without osteoporosis medication (p = 0.79), primarily because the case numbers were too small., Conclusions: A substantial proportion of postmenopausal women hospitalized with distal radius fracture were not sufficiently evaluated or treated for their potential risk of osteoporosis.