Identifying potentially depressed older Chinese adults in the community: Hong Kong's Elderly Health Service cohort.

BACKGROUND: Depression is common at older ages, but is under-recognized due to stigma, misperception, and under-diagnosis; its manifestations may vary by setting. Identifying older adults at risk of depression in the community is urgently needed for timely support and early interventions. We assessed the performance of an existing risk prediction model developed in a European setting (i.e., Depression Risk Assessment Tool (DRAT-up)), and developed a new model (i.e., EHS-Depress model) to predict 2-year risk of the onset of later life depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults. METHODS: Among 185,538 participants aged ≥65 years from Hong Kong's Elderly Health Service (EHS) cohort, 174,806 without depressive symptoms at baseline were included. Two-thirds were randomly sampled for recalibration and new model development using Cox proportional-hazards models with backward elimination. Overall predictive performance, discrimination, and calibration were assessed using the remaining. RESULTS: The original DRAT-up model underestimated the risk of developing depressive symptoms in older Chinese adults; recalibrating it improved calibration. The new EHS-Depress model had better discrimination (Harrell's C statistic 0.68 and D statistic 2.74) and similarly good calibration (calibration slope 1.18 and intercept -0.002) probably due to the inclusion of more specific health measures, socio-demographics, lifestyle factors, and regular social contact as predictors. LIMITATIONS: Predictors of depressive symptoms included in our models depend on the data availability. CONCLUSIONS: The EHS-Depress model predicted 2-year risk of developing depressive symptoms better than the original and recalibrated DRAT-up models. The setting-specific risk prediction model is more applicable to older Chinese adults in primary care settings.

Development and validation of the EHS-COPD model to predict sex-specific risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in older Chinese adults: Hong Kong's Elderly Health Service Cohort.

BACKGROUND: No screening program is recommended for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults based on current clinical practice guidelines. Risk prediction models for COPD developed in Western settings may not be directly applicable to older Chinese adults. To evaluate the performance of an existing risk prediction model for COPD developed in a Western setting in Chinese adults and investigate whether a new risk prediction model performs better in predicting 5-year risk of COPD (EHS-COPD). METHODS: This study is based on 135,822 participants aged 65+ years from Hong Kong's Elderly Health Service (EHS) cohort. We assessed the performance of an existing risk prediction model in the entire cohort, and in a random sub-sample of 91,133 participants, we recalibrated the existing model and derived a new model using extended Cox proportional hazards regression. Candidate risk predictors from the literature and the EHS cohort were considered for inclusion. Risk prediction performance, discrimination, and calibration of the newly derived models were assessed in the remaining 44,689 participants. RESULTS: The existing risk prediction model overestimated the 5-year risk of COPD in older Chinese adults (65+ years); after recalibration, it still overestimated the 5-year risk of COPD for both men and women. The new EHS-COPD risk prediction model, including time-varying factors (i.e., age and smoking status) and time-invariant factors (i.e., education level, public assistance, alcohol use, body mass index, physical activity, existing hypertension, recent falls, cognitive function, and self-rated health status), had an improved performance. For men, EHS-COPD explained 19.5% of COPD risk, the D statistic was 23.1, and Harrell's C statistic was 0.93. The corresponding values for women were 8.5%, 21.1, and 0.93. CONCLUSIONS: The existing COPD risk prediction model overpredicted COPD risk in older Chinese and could not be recalibrated to predict well. A revised prediction model using time-invariant and time-varying factors provides a better tool for identifying older Chinese adults at high risk of developing COPD.

Kinetic Resolution via Rh-Catalyzed C-C Activation of Cyclobutanones at Room Temperature.

Herein we describe the development of a highly selective kinetic resolution of cyclobutanones via a Rh-catalyzed "cut-and-sew" reaction with selectivity factor up to 785. This reaction takes place at room temperature with excellent efficiency. Various trans-5,6-fused bicycles and C2-substituted cyclobutanones were obtained with excellent ee's that can be further used as chiral building blocks. DFT calculations reveal the crucial roles of the DTBM-segphos ligand in stabilizing the rate- and enantioselectivity-determining C-C oxidative addition transition state via favorable ligand-substrate dispersion interactions.

Low level of knowledge of heart attack symptoms and inappropriate anticipated treatment-seeking behaviour among older Chinese: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital delay of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is common globally, and Hong Kong-home of a rapidly ageing Chinese population-is not an exception. Seeking emergency medical care promptly is important for patients. Treatment-seeking behaviours have been shown to be associated with knowledge of AMI symptoms and specific cultural beliefs. This study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of AMI symptoms and expected treatment-seeking behaviour among older Chinese in Hong Kong. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted at the Elderly Health Centres in Hong Kong from March to September 2016. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a structured questionnaire based on previous studies and local adaptations. RESULTS: Among 1804 people aged 65 years and above who completed the questionnaire, chest pain (80.2%), palpitations (75.8%) and fainting (71.9%) were the major symptoms recognised as AMI related. Meanwhile, stomach ache (46.9%), coughing (45.4%) and neck pain (40.8%) were recognised as not AMI related. The mean expected discomfort intensity during AMI onset was 7.7 out of 10 (SD=2.1). Regarding the expected treatment-seeking behaviour, seeking non-emergent medical care was the most popular action when AMI symptoms emerged during the day, without chest pain or with lower discomfort intensity, whereas calling an ambulance was the most common option when AMI symptoms emerged at night or with high discomfort intensity. CONCLUSIONS: To minimise delays in seeking treatment, future health education should focus on increasing the public knowledge of AMI symptoms and the need to call an ambulance during an emergency.

Factors associated with prolonged length of stay for elective hepatobiliary and neurosurgery patients: a retrospective medical record review.

BACKGROUND: Patients with prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) not only increase their risks of nosocomial infections but also deny other patients access to inpatient care. Hepatobiliary (HPB) malignancies have some of highest incidences in East and Southeast Asia and the management of patients undergoing HPB surgeries have yet to be standardized. With improved neurosurgery techniques for intracranial aneurysms and tumors, neurosurgeries (NS) can be expected to increase. Elective surgeries account for far more operations than emergencies surgeries. Thus, with potentially increased numbers of elective HPB and NS, this study seeks to explore perioperative factors associated with prolonged LOS for these patients to improve safety and quality of practice. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional medical record review study from January 2014 to January 2015 was conducted at a 1250-bed tertiary academic hospital in Singapore. All elective HPB and NS patients over 18 years old were included in the study except day and emergency surgeries, resulting in 150 and 166 patients respectively. Prolonged LOS was defined as above median LOS based on the complexity of the surgical procedure. The predictor variables were preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. Student's t-test and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine which factors were associated with prolonged LOS. RESULTS: Factors associated with prolonged LOS for the HPB sample were age and admission after 5 pm but for the NS sample, they were functional status, referral to occupational therapy, and the number of hospital-acquired infections. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that preoperative factors had the greatest association with prolonged LOS for HPB and NS elective surgeries even after adjusting for surgical complexity, suggesting that patient safety and quality of care may be improved with better pre-surgery patient preparation and admission practices.

Synthesis and applications of rhodium porphyrin complexes.

Organotransition metal complexes capable of forming metalloradicals have been an intriguing subject of study for the past fifty years. Of these, rhodium porphyrin complexes have proven particularly interesting due to their straightforward synthesis and unique reactivity; indeed, these complexes are responsible for some highly influential transformations of organic compounds, including rare C-H and C-C bond activations. The complexity and selectivity of rhodium porphyrins has been attractive for catalytic transformations, with specific interest in their usage for selective carbon monoxide reduction for fuel cell applications. This review will highlight historical and modern syntheses of rhodium porphyrins, as well as their respective reactions with small molecules and applications therein. The discussion will be limited to rhodium porphyrins consisting of four pyrrolic rings bridged with four methine units.

Room Temperature Catalyst System for the Hydroarylation of Olefins.

A simple protocol for the hydroarylation of olefins to yield diarylmethine products is described. A Friedel-Crafts-type synthetic strategy allows direct access to biorelevant products in high atom efficiency. A combination of substoichiometric amounts of TMSCl and ZnBr2 promotes a rapid hydroarylation process at ambient temperature. The method is high yielding and is amenable to scale-up protocols.

Cancer Mortality Risks from Long-term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particle.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed long-term effects of particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) on mortality for causes of cancer other than the lung; we assessed the effects on multiple causes. In Hong Kong, most people live and work in urban or suburban areas with high-rise buildings. This facilitates the estimation of PM2.5 exposure of individuals, taking into account the height of residence above ground level for assessment of the long-term health effects with sufficient statistical power. METHODS: We recruited 66,820 persons who were ≥65 in 1998 to 2001 and followed up for mortality outcomes until 2011. Annual concentrations of PM at their residential addresses were estimated using PM2.5 concentrations measured at fixed-site monitors, horizontal-vertical locations, and satellite data. We used Cox regression model to assess the HR of mortality for cancer per 10 µg/m(3) increase of PM2.5 RESULTS: PM2.5 was associated with increased risk of mortality for all causes of cancer [HR, 1.22 (95% CI, 1.11-1.34)] and for specific cause of cancer in upper digestive tract [1.42 (1.06-1.89)], digestive accessory organs [1.35 (1.06-1.71)] in all subjects; breast [1.80 (1.26-2.55)] in females; and lung [1.36 (1.05-1.77)] in males. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposures to PM2.5 are associated with elevated risks of cancer in various organs. IMPACT: This study is particularly timely in China, where compelling evidence is needed to support the pollution control policy to ameliorate the health damages associated with economic growth. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 25(5); 839-45. ©2016 AACR.

STROBE-Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution and Hospitalization Due to Peptic Ulcers.

Little is known about the effect of air pollution on the gastrointestinal (GI) system. We investigated the association between long-term exposures to outdoor fine particles (PM2.5) and hospitalization for peptic ulcer diseases (PUDs) in a large cohort of Hong Kong Chinese elderly.A total of 66,820 subjects aged ≥65 years who were enrolled in all 18 Government Elderly Health Service centers of Hong Kong participated in the study voluntarily between 1998 and 2001. They were prospectively followed up for more than 10 years. Annual mean exposures to PM2.5 at residence of individuals were estimated by satellite data through linkage with address details including floor level. All hospital admission records of the subjects up to December 31, 2010 were retrieved from the central database of Hospital Authority. We used Cox regression to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for PUD hospitalization associated with PM2.5 exposure after adjustment for individual and ecological covariates.A total of 60,273 subjects had completed baseline information including medical, socio-demographic, lifestyle, and anthropometric data at recruitment. During the follow-up period, 1991 (3.3%) subjects had been hospitalized for PUD. The adjusted HR for PUD hospitalization per 10 µg/m of PM2.5 was 1.18 (95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.36, P = 0.02). Further analysis showed that the associations with PM2.5 were significant for gastric ulcers (HR 1.29; 1.09-1.53, P = 0.003) but not for duodenal ulcers (HR 0.98; 0.78 to 1.22, P = 0.81).Long-term exposures to PM2.5 were associated with PUD hospitalization in elder population. The mechanism underlying the PM2.5 in the development of gastric ulcers warrants further research.

A 10-year journey in sustaining fall reduction in an academic medical center in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: The incidence rate of falls at 1.3 falls/1000 patient-days at a tertiary hospital in 2004 was found to be high when benchmarked against other hospitals' fall rates in Singapore. This marked the starting point of a journey of reducing fall incidence by successfully combining evidence-based healthcare measures with quality-improvement strategies. AIM: The aim of this project was to implement fall-reduction strategies in the inpatient care areas in an acute care tertiary hospital. METHODS: Two action research studies commissioned for ascertaining an appropriate fall-risk assessment and effectiveness of targeted individualized interventions formed the foundation of fall-reduction strategies. Evidence-based healthcare measures were combined with quality-improvement strategies that addressed fall risks to prevent falls and mitigate injuries. The process of managing fall-related incidents was standardized as the fall rate continues to be a key nursing performance indicator. RESULTS: The overall fall trend decreased from 1.09/1000 patient-days in 2008 to 0.82/1000 patient-days in 2012. The decreasing trends were sustained in 2013 and 2014 at 0.91/100 and 0.85/1000, respectively. The fall injury rate reduced from 0.31/1000 patient-days in 2008 and was maintained at a rate of 0.20-0.24 during 2009-2012. CONCLUSION: The implementation of fall-reduction strategies reduced the fall incidence rate in this acute care setting. However, more work is required to ensure the changes made to the fall assessment, interventions, and processes are sustained and incorporated in patient care.

Room temperature carbon(CO)-carbon(α) bond activation of ketones by rhodium(ii) porphyrins with water.

The mild and selective aliphatic C(CO)-C(α) bond activation (CCA) of ketones was successfully achieved at room temperature using rhodium(ii) porphyrins in the presence of H2O. Rh(II)(tmp) (tmp = tetrakismesitylporphyrinate dianion) disproportionates in H2O to generate the highly reactive intermediate Rh(III)(tmp)(OH) for cleaving the C-C bond of ketone, giving up to 90% of Rh(III)(tmp)(COR) and the corresponding oxidized carbonyl product in up to 76% yield within 10 min. Substrate scopes cover aliphatic as well as aromatic ketones. Both isopropyl and cyclic ketones worked well.

Is Traditional Chinese Exercise Associated With Lower Mortality Rates in Older People? Evidence From a Prospective Chinese Elderly Cohort Study in Hong Kong.

The inverse association of aerobic exercise with death has been well documented. However, evidence on traditional Chinese exercise (TCE) and rate of death in older Chinese is limited. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the associations of TCE and other types of physical activity with death from all causes and specific causes in a population-based prospective cohort of 66,820 Chinese persons (≥65 years of age) who were enrolled between July 1998 and December 2001 at all 18 Elderly Health Centers in Hong Kong and followed up until May 31, 2012. During an average of 10.9 years of follow-up, 19,845 deaths occurred. TCE was inversely associated with death from all causes (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74, 0.82), cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.85), cancer (HR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.92), and respiratory disease (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.63, 0.80) but was not associated with death from accidents (excluding falls) (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.44, 1.42), after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic position, alcohol use, smoking, body mass index, and health status. The associations did not vary by amount of TCE. Aerobic exercise had similar inverse associations as TCE, but associations for stretching exercises and walking slowly were less marked. Further studies of TCE are warranted in older Chinese.

Satellite-Based Estimates of Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particles and Association with Mortality in Elderly Hong Kong Residents.

BACKGROUND: A limited number of studies on long-term effects of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) on health suggest it can be an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In Asia where air quality is poor and deteriorating, local data on long-term effects of PM2.5 to support policy on air quality management are scarce. OBJECTIVES: We assessed long-term effects of PM2.5 on the mortality in a single Asian city. METHODS: For 10-13 years, we followed up a cohort of 66,820 participants ≥ 65 years of age who were enrolled and interviewed in all 18 Elderly Health Centres of the Department of Health, Hong Kong, in 1998-2001. Their residential addresses were geocoded into x- and y-coordinates, and their proxy exposures to PM2.5 at their addresses in 1 × 1 km grids were estimated from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite data. We used Cox regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality associated with PM2.5. RESULTS: Mortality HRs per 10-µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 were 1.14 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.22) for all natural causes, 1.22 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.39) for cardiovascular causes, 1.42 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.73) for ischemic heart disease, 1.24 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.53) for cerebrovascular disease, and 1.05 (95% CI: 0.90, 1.22) for respiratory causes. CONCLUSIONS: Our methods in using NASA satellite data provide a readily accessible and affordable approach to estimation of a sufficient range of individual PM2.5 exposures in a single city. This approach can expand the capacity to conduct environmental accountability studies in areas with few measurements of fine particles. CITATION: Wong CM, Lai HK, Tsang H, Thach TQ, Thomas GN, Lam KB, Chan KP, Yang L, Lau AK, Ayres JG, Lee SY, Chan WM, Hedley AJ, Lam TH. 2015. Satellite-based estimates of long-term exposure to fine particles and association with mortality in elderly Hong Kong residents. Environ Health Perspect 123:1167-1172; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408264.

Adiposity and influenza-associated respiratory mortality: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity was first noted as a risk factor for severe illness associated with pandemic H1N1 infection in 2009, but the relationship between obesity and seasonal influenza remains unclear. METHODS: We used data from a population-based cohort comprising 66 820 older (≥65 years) participants with a follow-up period from 1998 to 2012. The impact of influenza activity on respiratory mortality rates was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for comorbidities, meteorological factors, and other co-circulating respiratory viruses. We also tested whether the association of influenza with respiratory mortality varied with obesity and/or health status. As a control outcome, we similarly assessed the association of influenza with deaths from external causes, because these deaths should be unrelated to influenza. RESULTS: Seasonal influenza activity was associated with higher respiratory mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13 for influenza activity in the influenza season vs noninfluenza season; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.22). The effect of seasonal influenza was 19% greater in obese individuals than normal-weight individuals (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01-1.42). The marginally significant and greater effect modification of obesity status on the association between seasonal influenza and respiratory mortality was also observed among older people in good health (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, .97-1.87). No such relations were observed for death from external causes. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity aggravates the effect of seasonal influenza on respiratory mortality. Priority for influenza vaccine should be considered for obese older people to decrease the burden of influenza.

Self-rated health and mortality in a prospective Chinese elderly cohort study in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVES: In the West, self-rated health reliably predicts death, but conceptualizations of health and cause-composition of mortality may be contextually specific. Little is known as to how self-rated health predicts death in non-Western settings. METHODS: Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the adjusted associations of age-comparative and self-comparative self-rated health with death from all- and specific-causes using a population-based cohort of 66,820 Chinese (65+years) enrolled from 1998 to 2001 at 18 Elderly Health Centers in Hong Kong, and followed until May 31, 2012. RESULTS: During an average of 10.9 years follow-up, 19,845 deaths occurred with 6336 from cancer. Worse age-comparative self-rated health, compared with better, was positively associated with death from all-causes (hazard ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.59, 1.77), cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.66, 2.02), stroke (hazard ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 1.63, 2.29), ischemic heart disease (hazard ratio 1.77, 95% confidence interval 1.51, 2.08), cancer (hazard ratio 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.06, 1.30) and respiratory disease (hazard ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 2.01, 2.52), adjusted for age and sex. Self-comparative self-rated health was not associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSION: Age-comparative self-rated health predicted death in older people from a non-Western setting although the association was less marked than in Western settings.

Self-reported diabetes and mortality in a prospective Chinese elderly cohort study in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: In Western countries, diabetes mellitus is positively associated with death from all- and specific-causes including cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In a Chinese setting with a different disease pattern: high diabetes rates in a relatively non-obese population with low ischemic heart disease (IHD) rates where diabetes is positively associated with IHD, we examined the association of self-reported diabetes with death among older people. METHODS: Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used in a population-based prospective cohort of 66,820 Chinese (65+ years) enrolled from July 1998 to December 2001 at Elderly Health Centers of the Hong Kong Government Department of Health, followed until May 31, 2012. RESULTS: During 10.9 years of follow-up, 19,845 deaths occurred. Self-reported diabetes was associated with death from all-causes (hazard ratio (HR)=1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51, 1.62), cardiovascular disease (HR=1.84, 95% CI 1.72, 1.96), cancer (HR=1.11, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.20), liver cancer (HR=1.38, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.69) and stomach cancer (HR=1.38, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.85), adjusted for age, sex, socio-economic position, alcohol use, smoking, exercise and body mass index. CONCLUSION: Such a pattern of associations suggests that further investigation into the drivers of diabetes is required in this and similar populations.

Alcohol use and death from respiratory disease in a prospective Chinese elderly cohort study in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: In Western settings, moderate drinking is negatively associated with respiratory disease. However, moderate drinking is socially patterned, making this association vulnerable to contextual biases. Evidence from other contexts where the typical drinking pattern is different may clarify such observations. METHODS: Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the adjusted associations of alcohol use with death from respiratory disease using a population-based prospective cohort of 66,820 Chinese aged ≥65 years enrolled from July 1998 to December 2001 at all the 18 Elderly Health Centers of the Hong Kong Government Department of Health and followed till May 30, 2012. RESULTS: During ten-year follow-up, 4065 deaths from respiratory disease occurred. Most current drinkers were occasional drinkers (<1 day/week). Both moderate and occasional drinking (<1 day/week) were associated with a lower risk of death from respiratory disease, but the point estimates and pattern of associations were similar between these two types of drinkers. CONCLUSION: The typical drinking pattern, i.e. occasional drinking (<1 day/week), which is unlikely to have any biological effect, was similarly associated with a lower risk of respiratory disease as moderate alcohol use, suggesting the attributes of being a typical drinker may be protective.

Alcohol intake and death from cancer in a prospective Chinese elderly cohort study in Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: In observational studies of Western populations, moderate alcohol use is usually associated with lower cancer mortality rates. However, moderate alcohol use (regular drinking of moderate amounts) is socially patterned. Evidence from other contexts can clarify such observations. We examined the association of moderate alcohol use with death from cancer in older Chinese adults from a developed non-Western setting, where occasional alcohol drinking (less than once per week of small amounts) is typical. METHODS: Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the adjusted associations of alcohol use with death from cancer using a population-based prospective cohort of 66 820 Chinese aged ≥ 65 years enrolled from July 1998 to December 2001 at all the 18 Elderly Health Centres of the Hong Kong Government Department of Health, and followed till 30 May 2012. RESULTS: After follow-up for about 10.5 years, 6335 cancer deaths were identified. Most current alcohol users were social drinkers (<1/week). Moderate drinkers had a similar risk of death from non-oesophageal cancer as never drinkers, but a higher risk of oesophageal cancer, adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic position, lifestyle and health status. Social drinking (<1/week) was associated with a lower risk of death from non-oesophageal cancer, but not from oesophageal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In a non-Western setting, no association of moderate alcohol use with death from cancer was found. Occasional social drinking (<1/week) was associated with a lower risk of cancer, suggesting that moderate alcohol use is not protective, but in any setting the attributes of being a typical drinker may be.

Smoking and hemorrhagic stroke mortality in a prospective cohort study of older Chinese.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hemorrhagic stroke is more common in non-Western settings and does not always share risk factors with other cardiovascular diseases. The association of smoking with hemorrhagic stroke subtypes has not been established. We examined the association of cigarette smoking with hemorrhagic stroke, by subtype (intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage), in a large cohort of older Chinese from Hong Kong. METHODS: Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to assess the adjusted associations of smoking at baseline with death from hemorrhagic stroke and its subtypes, using a population-based prospective cohort of 66 820 Chinese aged>65 years enrolled from July 1998 to December 2001 at all the 18 Elderly Health Centers of the Hong Kong Government Department of Health and followed until May 31, 2012. RESULTS: After follow-up for an average of 10.9 years (SD=3.1), 648 deaths from hemorrhagic stroke had occurred, of which 530 (82%) were intracerebral hemorrhage. Current smoking was associated with a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio, 2.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.49-3.22), intracerebral hemorrhage (1.94; 1.25-3.01), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (3.58; 1.62-7.94), adjusted for age, sex, education, public assistance, housing type, monthly expenditure, alcohol use, and exercise. Further adjustment for hypertension and body mass index slightly changed the estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking is strongly associated with hemorrhagic stroke mortality, particularly for subarachnoid hemorrhage.

A novel approach to improve hand hygiene compliance of student nurses.

BACKGROUND: The National University Hospital, Singapore routinely undertakes standardized Hand Hygiene auditing with results produced by ward and by staff type. In 2010 concern was raised over consistently low compliance by nursing students averaging 45% (95% CI 42%-48%) prompting us to explore novel approaches to educating our next generation of nurses to improve their hand hygiene practice.We introduced an experiential learning assignment to final year student nurses on attachment to NUH inclusive of hand hygiene auditor training followed by a period of hand hygiene observation. The training was based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) "My 5 moments for hand hygiene" approach. Upon completion students completed an anonymous questionnaire to evaluate their learning experience. FINDINGS: By 2012, nursing students were 40% (RR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.3-1.5, p<0.001) more likely to comply with hand hygiene practices. 97.5% (359/368) of nursing students felt that the experience would enhance their own hand hygiene practice and would recommend participating in audits as a learning instrument. CONCLUSIONS: With consideration of all stakeholders a sustainable, flexible, programme was implemented. Experiential learning of hand hygiene was a highly valued educational tool and in our project was directly associated with improved hand hygiene compliance. Feedback demonstrated popularity amongst participants and success in achieving its program objectives. While this does not guarantee long term behavioural change it is intuitive that instilling good habits and messages at the early stages of a career will potentially have significant long-term impact.