Age Related Outcome in Acute Subdural Haematoma Following Traumatic Head Injury

Acute subdural haematoma (ASDH) is one of the conditions most strongly associated with severe brain injury. Reports prior to 1980 describe overall mortality rates for acute subdural haematomas (SDH's) ranging from 40% to 90% with poor outcomes observed in all age groups. Recently, improved results have been reported with rapid diagnosis and surgical treatment. The elderly are predisposed to bleeding due to normal cerebral atrophy related to aging, stretching the bridging veins from the dura. Prognosis in ASDH is associated with age, time from injury to treatment, presence of pupillary abnormalities, Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) or motor score on admission, immediate coma or lucid interval, computerized tomography findings (haematoma volume, degree of midline shift, associated intradural lesion, compression of basal cisterns), post-operative intracranial pressure and type of surgery. Advancing age is known to be a determinant of outcome in head injury. The authors present the results of a retrospective study carried out in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland's national neurosurgical centre. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of age on outcome in patients with ASDH following severe head injury. Only cases with acute subdural haematoma requiring surgical evacuation were recruited.

BGS response to the Health Foundation Improvement Report on Dementia Care

Dementia services have moved up the agenda in recent years, highlighted by the publication of the National Dementia Strategy in February 2009. The Health Foundation's improvement report on dementia care hopes to bring together data, research and good practice, with an assessment of the current quality gap.Background to The Health Foundation's Improvement Reports in 2010. At the end of 2009 the Health Foundation agreed a new research and development strategy with the following aims:To make a significant contribution to strengthening the evidence base on how to improve quality in the health care systems of the UK To ensure that this body of knowledge, and a commitment to developing the knowledge shapes our work programmes To promote the use of this evidence base by decision makers at all levels in the health care system Improvement reports will aim to engage the reader by presenting best practice evidence alongside data on current performance and introducing commentary and debate, interpretation about possible next steps and case studies.�� They will build on the success of the chart books produced to date: Bridging the Quality Gap in Stroke services�۪ Quality in healthcare in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland: an intra-UK chart book�۪, together with Bridging the Quality Gap in Heart Failure�۪ to be published early 2010. Improvement reports will be dynamic and flexible through use of a mix of print products and pages on the Health Foundation�۪s website.

Symposium on Dementia and Caregiving 23 May - Presentations

This Symposium, hosted by Dementia Services Information and Development Centre, opened up debate on formal and informal care for people with dementia living in the community and in residential care. ��It also discussed recent research findings on dementia care in Ireland and the United States.Click the link to view the following presentation slides:Professor Steve Zarit - Caregiving at a Cross-Roads; Bridging the Gap between Science and PracticeProfessor Eamon O'Shea - Costing Care for People with Dementia in IrelandDr Caroline O'Nolan - Longterm Residential Care for People with Dementia in Ireland: New Findings from a National SurveyDr Ana Diaz - "I Have a Good Life, I just want to Keep it"; Subjective Understandings and Objective Evaluations of Quality of Life after Diagnosis of DementiaProfessor Charles Normand - Burdens and Paradoxes in Caregiving