[Factor analysis of health related quality of life in patients admitted to a short stay medical unit].

Background: Disease and hospital admission have a great impact on the quality of life of an individual.

Aim: To identify the factors associated with health related quality of life (HRQL) in patients admitted to a Short Stay Medical Unit (SSMU).

Patients And Methods: Prospective cohort study of 335 patients aged 15 to 99 years (196 males) consecutively admitted to the SSMU.

Peak expiratory flow rate as predictor of inpatient death in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objectives: Few studies analyze hospital deaths and related factors in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who require hospitalization.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was done with 284 patients who had been admitted consecutively to the Short Stay Medical Unit at the Juan Canalejo Hospital in A Coruña.

Results: Eleven patients (3.

Acute renal infarction as a cause of low-back pain.

Detection of acute renal infarction is often delayed or missed because of both the rarity of the disease and its nonspecific clinical presentation. Abrupt onset of low-back pain in a patient at high risk for a thromboembolic event may be the first indication of renal infarction. We report a case of acute renal infarction and review its diagnosis and management.