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To evaluate whether home treatment of elderly patients with acute uncomplicated first ischemic stroke is associated with different mortality rates and clinical outcomes from those of patients treated on a general medical ward (GMW). Randomized, controlled, single-blind trial. S. Giovanni Battista Hospital of Turin. One hundred twenty elderly patients admitted to the emergency department of the hospital with first acute ischemic stroke were randomized to home treatment from a geriatric home hospitalization service (GHHS) or to GMW treatment. Main outcome was cumulative survival at 6 months in the two groups. Residual functional impairment, neurological deficit, depression, morbidity, and admission to rehabilitation and long-term care facilities were considered as secondary outcomes in survivors. One hundred twenty patients (mean age 82; 54 men and 66 women) were enrolled (60 in each study arm). The cumulative proportion of cases surviving at 6 months was 0.65 in the GHHS group and 0.60 in GMW group (log-rank test P=.53). Functional and neurological parameters were significantly improved in both GHHS and GMW patients, without significant differences between the two groups. Depression score was significantly better in home-treated patients ( P< .001), who were more likely to remain at home at 6 months than hospital-treated patients and had a lower rate of select medical complications. Home-treated elderly patients with ischemic stroke have better depressive scores and lower rates of admission to nursing homes. These results should prompt further studies to evaluate home hospitalization for elderly stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusive sampling using tube-type adsorbent samplers can be appliedto the measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air of homes and outdoors. In the present study samplers packed with TenaxTA have been used to investigate VOCs in the air of 44 homes and at 4 outdoor locations in the Southampton area of the UK as part of a study of the effects of measures for the alleviation of the symptoms ofasthma. These measures included installation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems in 20 of the homes. No significant changes in concentrations of 6 VOCs (benzene, toluene, xylene, decane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene and undecane) were observed following theMVHR installation. A range of other VOCs found in the homes is identified using mass spectrometry. Twelve different compounds were found to occur as the dominant peak in the chromatogram in one or more indoor air samples, whilst 63 different compounds appeared amongst the 10biggest peaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was centered in Beijing, People's Republic of China, and comprised housewives in one group, primarily for assessing exposures in the home, and office workers in a second group to assess the contribution of the workplace to overall exposure. Two hundred and fifty-three randomly selected non-smoking subjects collected air samples nearto their breathing zone by wearing personal monitors for 24 h. Samples collected were analyzed for respirable suspended particles (RSP), nicotine, 3-ethenylpyridine and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) particles using ultraviolet absorbing particulate matter (UVPM), fluorescing particulate matter (FPM) and solanesol-related particulate matter (SolPM) measurements. Saliva cotinine analyses were also undertakento confirm the non-smoking status of the subjects, and a misclassification rate of between 3.4 and 3.8% was estimated. RSP levels were the highest reported to date by these authors, with median 24-hour time-weighted average concentrations varying between 70 mug7m-3 for housewives living in non-smoking households and 114 mug7m-3 for office workers both living and working in smoking environments. High background levels of unidentified airborne fluorescing compounds in Beijing resulted in abnormally high FPM estimates and precluded the use of this marker in the assessment of ETS exposure. The highest exposures to ETS particles (SolPM) and nicotine were estimatedfor office workers living and working in smoking environments. Thesesubjects would potentially inhale between 5 and 11 cigarette equivalents per year (CEs/y), based upon median exposures, with the workplace contributing approximately 40% of this exposure. The most highly exposed subjects in this study, based upon 90th percentile exposures, would potentially inhale between 32 and 46 CEs/y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]