ABSTRACT
Changes in use by the elderly of the emergency department of a major hospital in Al-Ain in the years 1989 and 1999 were examined. All patients aged 65 years or older who attended the emergency room were included in this cross-sectional survey. Patient numbers rose from 321 in 1989 to 1347 in 1999 with no significant change in the female to male ratio of 0.78 or the mean age of the elderly attendees 72.9 +/- 7.4 years. Attendance rose 5.4 fold while non-urgent attendance rose 14.7 fold, demonstrating rising use but falling illness severity over time
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Age Distribution , Aged/statistics & numerical data , Analysis of Variance , Delivery of Health Care/organization & administration , Emergency Treatment/methods , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Transition , Length of Stay/trends , Morbidity , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
We evaluated a diabetic mini-clinic by assessing adherence to American Diabetes Association guidelines and changes in glycosylated haemoglobin levels. Of 1063 patients, 721 were multiple attenders. Single and multiple attenders showed no significant differences in age, sex, time since diagnosis or body mass index. Female and male multiple attenders showed significant declines in glycosylated haemoglobin levels over the first 12 and 18 months respectively. After 2 years, these levels were similar to those at entry to the clinic. The clinic's compliance with standard measurement guidelines was high. The diabetic mini-clinic model, which is effective in industrialized countries, was equally effective in this setting
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ambulatory Care Facilities/standards , Body Mass Index , Chi-Square Distribution , Family Practice/standards , Health Services Research , Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism , Life Style , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Primary Health Care/standards , Total Quality Management/organization & administrationABSTRACT
The bone mineral density [BMD] of the calcaneus was estimated in 185 young women from the United Arab Emirates, using SAHARA ultrasound. All participants completed a questionnaire on factors potentially associated with osteoporosis. In all, 29 [15.7%] of the women were classified as having osteopenia and none as having osteoporosis. Participants with osteopenia were more likely to have had a later onset of menarche, irregular periods, lower body mass index, and a positive family history of osteoporosis. Only late menarche and low body mass index, however, were independent predictors of osteopenia