Using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) to predict the mortality and outcome of patients with intracerebral haemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) can be used to predict mortality and functional outcome in patients presenting with intracerebral haemorrhage. DESIGN: Retrospective study of a prospectively collected cohort. SETTING: Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS: A cohort of 359 patients presented to our hospital from 1996 to 2001 with their first-ever stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The sensitivity and specificity of the NIHSS with a cut-off point of 20 in predicting mortality at 30 days and 5 years, and a favourable functional outcome at 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 359 patients were available for analysis and were divided into three subgroups according to the site and the size of the haematoma. The NIHSS can predict 30-day mortality with a sensitivity of 81% [corrected] and a specificity of 90% [corrected] The NIHSS can predict 5-year mortality with a sensitivity of 57% [corrected] and a specificity of 92% [corrected] In predicting favourable functional outcomes at 5 years, the NIHSS had a sensitivity of 98% [corrected] and a specificity of 16% [corrected] CONCLUSIONS: The NIHSS performed on admission can be used to predict mortality at 30 days and 5 years as well as favourable functional outcome at 5 years, all with an acceptable sensitivity and specificity.

Oesophageal gastro-intestinal stromal tumour presenting with rupture into pleural cavity.

Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours are rarely found in the oesophagus and it is uncommon for these tumours to present with rupture. In this paper, we report a case where the tumour ruptured through the distal oesophagus. As a result, the patient underwent surgical tumour dissection. A histopathological examination of the tumour mass confirmed that it was a gastro-intestinal stromal tumour. In this report, we review the diagnosis, pathology, and treatment of a patient presenting with a ruptured oesophageal gastro-intestinal stromal tumour.

Outcomes after first-ever stroke.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the outcomes after first-ever stroke, including mortality, dependence, and recurrence. DESIGN: Retrospective study on a prospectively collected cohort. SETTING: Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS: A cohort of 755 patients presented to our hospital from 1996 to 1998 with their first-ever stroke. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mortality and stroke recurrence rate at 30 days, 1 year, and 5 years from the onset of the stroke. Dependence in activity of daily living at 5 years from the onset of stroke. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 15.1% at 30 days, 22.5% at 1 year, and 39.7% at 5 years from the onset of the first-ever stroke. The rate of stroke recurrence was 0.9% at 30 days, 7.0% at 1 year, and 21.2% at 5 years from the onset of first-ever stroke. Among patients presenting with ischaemic strokes, 109 (20.6%) had a recurrence, of which 92 (84%) were ischaemic strokes and 17 (16%) were haemorrhagic. Among patients presenting with intracerebral haemorrhage, 25 (23.1%) had a recurrence, of which 12 (48%) were haemorrhagic strokes and 13 (52%) patients were ischaemic. After 5 years, 11% of the patients were dependent in terms of activity of daily living. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term prognosis after first-ever stroke is poor--5 years after their stroke, 39.7% of patients had died and 10.7% were dependent in terms of activity of daily living; 136 (21%) who survived at least 30 days after the initial stroke, had a recurrence within 5 years.

Acute adverse reactions to magnetic resonance contrast media--gadolinium chelates.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical safety of intravenous gadolinium-based contrast media used in patients who underwent MRI at a single institution. Acute adverse reactions to intravenous gadolinium-based contrast media used for MRI at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, SAR, from January 1999 to November 2004 were recorded in an incidence log book. The medical records of patients' demographics were retrospectively reviewed and the nature, frequency and severity of the adverse reactions were investigated and documented. The incidence of acute adverse reactions to intravenous gadolinium-based contrast media was 0.48% (45 patients with 46 adverse reactions). The severity of these adverse reactions were 96% mild, 2% moderate (one patient developed shortness of breath that required oxygen supplementation and intravenous steroidal management) and 2% severe (one patient developed an anaphylactoid reaction, but successfully recovered through timely resuscitation). No patients were recorded as having contrast extravasation and none died as a result of any adverse reaction. Among the 45 patients who developed adverse reactions, three patients (6.7%) had prior adverse reactions to iodinated contrast media, three (6.7%) had prior reactions to a different gadolinium-based contrast agent, one (2%) had asthma and nine (20%) had a history of drug/food allergy. Overall, 41% of the adverse reactions were not documented in the final MRI report or the clinical medical records. Gadolinium-based contrast media are safe and well tolerated by the vast majority of patients. In our study, the adverse reaction rate (0.48%) and the incidence of severe anaphylactoid reaction (0.01%) concur with those reported in the literature. Although most of the symptoms are mild and transient, these adverse reactions must be accurately documented and managed.