Use of the Quality of Life Inventory for measuring quality of life changes in an inpatient psychiatric population.

This study measured self-reported quality of life at two time points for 50 diagnostically heterogeneous patients in a state-funded psychiatric hospital and evaluated the Quality of Life Inventory for assessing changes over inpatient treatment. Participants completed the Quality of Life Inventory after admission and before discharge. Improvement occurred in overall scores during participants' hospital stays. Analysis of domains showed improvements in satisfaction with health and self-esteem. The inventory appears a useful tool for evaluating outcomes of psychiatric inpatient treatment from a patient perspective.

Protein-losing enteropathies.

GI protein loss can result from a heterogeneous group of diseases, including lymphangiectasia, IBD, neoplasia, ulceration, intussusception, and histoplasmosis. PLE should be suspected in any hypoalbuminemic patient with no evidence of exudative protein loss, proteinuria, or HI. A minimum laboratory database for the suspected PLE patient should include a complete blood cell count, a biochemical and electrolyte profile, urinalysis (+/- urine protein:cretinine ratio), and pre- and postprandial bile acid determinations. Fecal alpha 1-PI concentrations may be used to confirm the presence of GI protein loss in cases with concurrent renal or hepatic disease. Because PLE is a syndrome and not a specific disease, the most effective therapy must be directed at the underlying cause. Multiple high-quality endoscopic biopsies are sufficient to diagnose most patients with PLE, although full-thickness biopsies are required in some cases. Patients with PLE are often clinically "fragile," and careful symptomatic therapy must be integrated with dietary and medical management strategies in most cases.

Septic pericarditis, aortic endarteritis, and osteomyelitis in a dog.

A 7-year-old, female spayed rottweiler was referred with a history of an acute onset of collapse attributable to cardiac tamponade. Thoracic radiographs revealed an enlarged cardiac silhouette compatible with pericardial effusion, sternal osteomyelitis, and an unusual mineralized lesion determined later to be within the aortic wall. The pericardial effusion was a septic exudate secondary to infection with Staphylococcus species and hemorrhage into the pericardium through a mineralized aortic lesion. The case demonstrates the importance of complete evaluation of thoracic radiographs in a patient with cardiac disease and the potential value of cytopathological evaluation of pericardial fluid.