Additional benefits of passive exposures to intermittent hypoxia and hyperoxia on cognitive performance and functional exercise capacity have been demonstrated in geriatric patients who performed a multimodal training program. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate effects of adding intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic training (IHHT) to a multimodal training intervention (MTI) on mobility and perceived health in old individuals at a Geriatric Day Hospital. Thirty-four patients between 64 and 92 years participated in the double blind, randomized and controlled clinical trial. The elderly patients attended in a 5–7 weeks lasting MTI (strength, endurance, balance, reaction, flexibility, coordination, and cognitive exercises) and performed IHHT (breathing 10–14% oxygen for 4–7 min followed by 2–4 min 30–40% oxygen) in the Hypoxic Group (HG) or placebo treatment with ambient air in the Normoxic Group (NG) in parallel. Before and after all treatments, mobility was assessed by the Tinetti Mobility Test (TMT), the Timed-Up-and-Go Test (TUG) and Barthel-Index, while perceived health was assessed by one part of the EQ-5D Test, the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ VAS). After the MTI plus IHHT or normoxia sessions, results of the TMT, TUG, Barthel Index and EQ-VAS revealed no significant difference between HG and NG (+ 14.9% vs + 15.4%, p = 0.25; − 21% vs − 26.3%, p = 0.51; + 4.2% vs + 3.6%, p = 0.56; + 37.9% vs + 33.9%, p = 0.24;). IHHT added to MTI did not elicit additional improvements in perceived health and mobility compared to MTI alone.

Background/Objectives: Early integration of palliative care (PC) improves outcomes for patients with life-limiting diseases (LLDs). This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Palliative Care and Rapid Emergency Screening (P-CaRES) tool—originally developed for emergency settings—in identifying unmet PC needs among patients admitted to internal medicine wards. Methods: In this retrospective study, the P-CaRES tool was applied to medical records of patients with LLDs. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from charts. Logistic regression identified predictors of PC receipt; survival was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier estimates and log-rank tests. Results: Among 2509 patients screened, 631 (23.9%) had at least one LLD. Of these, 451 (71.5%) were identified as having PC needs. However, only 132 (20.9%) received PC services—126 with documented need and 6 without. Advanced cancer (OR = 6.46, p < 0.001), a positive response to the surprise question (OR = 4.88, p = 0.008), and frequent hospitalizations (OR = 2.24, p < 0.001) predicted PC receipt. Median survival declined with increasing disease burden (10 vs. 372 days for patients with ≥3 vs. 1 LLD), unmet PC needs (85 vs. 1383 days), and a “yes” response to the surprise question (79 vs. 1598 days) (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: The P-CaRES tool effectively identified PC needs in patients with LLDs, including those with cancer. Clinical indicators such as frequent hospital admissions, a positive response to the surprise question, and multimorbidity predicted both the need for PC and shorter survival. Nonetheless, substantial gaps existed between identified needs and PC delivery—especially for non-cancer patients. Structured screening and timely referrals may bridge this gap and improve care for seriously ill individuals.

Background: Dislocations and fracture-dislocations of the lower cervical spine represent complex injuries with a high risk of neurological damage. Especially in the presence of a confirmed traumatic disc lesion, an anterior surgical approach is described as favoured in the literature. However, studies show that with sufficient reduction technique, even in the presence of a confirmed disc protrusion, posterior stabilization can be considered a safe therapeutic option. The aim of this study is to analyze anterior and posterior treatment of dislocations and fracture-dislocations of the subaxial cervical spine with regard to neurological and radiological outcomes. Methods: In our monocentric cohort study, we investigated the immediate postoperative radiological and neurological outcome depending on the chosen surgical approach and the presence of a disc protrusion. Patients treated at our centre between January 2005 and June 2025 were included. Patients with preoperative complete spinal cord injury were excluded. Neurological status was assessed using the ASIA score preoperatively at admission and postoperatively at discharge or prior to staged surgery. Results: A total of 92 patients were included in the study. Most patients showed an ASIA score C (33.7%). A total of 49 patients (53.3%) were operated anteriorly and 42 patients (45.6%) posteriorly. One patient was primarily stabilized bilaterally. Nine patients initially treated anteriorly had to be secondarily stabilized additionally from posterior. In both groups, neurological deterioration occurred in one case. All other patients remained stable on the ASIA score or improved by at least one point on the scale. Conclusions: The findings provide evidence in favour of a personalized, pathology-oriented approach to lower cervical spine fracture-dislocations rather than selecting the surgical approach based solely on the presence of traumatic disc protrusion. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these observations.