Background: Post-stroke dysphagia leads to increased risk of aspiration and subsequent higher risk of pneumonia. It is important to not only diagnose post-stroke dysphagia early but also to evaluate the protective mechanism that counteracts aspiration, i.e., primarily cough. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of cough frequency in addition to aspiration risk for pneumonia outcome. Methods: This was a single-center prospective observational study. Patients with first-ever strokes underwent clinical swallowing evaluation, fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), and overnight cough recording using LEOSound^® (Löwenstein Medical GmbH & Co. KG, Bad Ems, Germany ). Penetration–Aspiration Scale (PAS) ratings and cough frequency measurements were correlated with incidence of pneumonia at discharge. Results: 11 women (37%) and 19 men (63%), mean age 70.3 years (SD ± 10.6), with ischemic stroke and dysphagia were enrolled. Correlation analysis showed statistically significant relationships between pneumonia and PAS (r = 0.521; p < 0.05), hourly cough frequency (r = 0,441; p < 0.05), and categories of cough severity (r = 0.428 p < 0.05), respectively. Logistic regression showed significant predictive effects of PAS (b = 0.687; p = 0.014) and cough frequency (b = 0.239; p = 0.041) for pneumonia outcome. Conclusion: Cough frequency in addition to aspiration risk was an independent predictor of pneumonia in dysphagic stroke survivors.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves physical and mental performance as well as quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, data on outcomes in very old patients are insufficient. We analyzed whether the elderly with COPD benefit in a similar way to younger patients from participation in an inpatient PR according to the assessments usually collected. Methods: Data from 3173 patients with COPD were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were referred to PR at the Zurich RehaZentren, Switzerland, between January 2013 and December 2019. PR was performed 6 days per week with an average duration of 18.85 days. Functional Independence Measurement (FIM), Feeling Thermometer (FT), and 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) were recorded on admission and discharge. Results: In all age groups, the 6MWT and FT improved significantly. FIM results also showed a significant increase. The results of the different age groups showed no significant differences in percentage improvements according to the assessments that were considered. Conclusions: All patient groups with COPD, even the oldest (>85 years), benefited from PR regardless of their age and according to the assessments. Prospective studies are needed to support this hypothesis.

Background: Plica as a disease entity appeared fi rst in the 13th century. Its aetiology is still unknown and not fully understood. Being, in fact, an irreversible condition of tangling and felting the hair, its origin was interpreted in various ways, from religious ones, through lack of hygiene to mental illness. Although p. polonica originates from Eastern and Central Europe, and p. neuropathica, typical of Indian people, was fi rst described in England, many characteristics connect these two conditions. Aim and Objectives: The study aimed to review the plica species over the centuries and to compare p. neuropathica and p. polonica. Materials and Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for medical articles, books and case studies on plica published up 1884 to 2020. We conducted a systematic and critical review of the literature to compare p. polonica and p. neuropathica. Results: Plica polonica and Plica neuropathica are the same disease entity. Conclusion: The variety of names and interpretations of the disease has made plica a condition still to be fully explained.

The Medical Faculty at the University of Leiden and its Graduates from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Some Introductory Remarks