The purpose of this study was to identify 1) the proportion of patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of concussion and return within 14 days, and 2) the characteristics that prompt a return.

A health records review was conducted on adult patients with a discharge diagnosis of a concussion who accessed care through Hamilton Health Sciences EDs and Urgent Care Centre in 2016. Subsequent data were collected from those who returned to the ED within 14 days. Clinical characteristics of returners were compared to those of non-returners.

Of the 389 patients included in the study, 38 (10%) returned within 14 days. Patients who sustained a concussion in a sport-related context or were referred to a specialized clinic were less likely to return (p = 0.03). Those who suffered an assault-related concussion were more likely to return (p = 0.01). Of those who did return, 42% received a CT scan with normal results, and 42% were given new discharge instructions.

Approximately 10% of patients diagnosed with a concussion in a Canadian hospital setting returned to the ED within 14 days of their index visit. Our study suggests the opportunity to reduce this burden to both the healthcare system and the patient through careful discharge instructions outlining anticipated symptoms following a concussion (specifically, headache) or referral to a concussion clinic.

School-based interventions and policies encourage youths to include and consume fruits and vegetables at lunchtime via school lunches, but limited research has examined how these behaviours compare when youths have home-packed lunches. The objective of the present study was to compare fruit and vegetable contents and consumption among students having school or home-packed lunches over the school week.

Participants were observed over five consecutive days at school lunchtime. Trained analysts estimated students’ lunchtime fruit and vegetable contents and consumption using digital imaging. Mixed models examined associations between fruit and vegetable dietary behaviours and lunch source (school v. home-packed), controlling for student gender, grade and school.

Three elementary schools in northern California, USA.

Fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students (nchildren 315; nobservations 1421).

Students were significantly less likely to have and to consume fruits and vegetables (all P<0·05) when having home-packed lunches, compared with when having school lunches. Among those who did have or did consume these foods, having a home-packed lunch was associated with consuming significantly less fruit (P<0·05) but no differences for other dietary outcomes.

The study adds to a growing body of literature indicating shortfalls in fruit and vegetable contents and consumption associated with having a home-packed lunch, relative to having a school lunch. Findings suggest that school-based interventions, particularly when targeting home-packed lunches, should focus on whether or not these foods are included and consumed, with less emphasis on quantities.

Although childhood hyperactivity and conduct problems are associated with difficulties in adulthood, little is known about later service use or public expenditure costs in the UK.

To describe the use of services and calculate recent (past 6 months) and early adulthood (since the age of 18 years) public expenditure costs incurred by young adults who had hyperactivity and/or conduct problems during childhood.

A 20-year follow-up of a community sample of 6- to 7-year old boys (n = 83) with hyperactivity only, conduct problems only, mixed hyperactivity and conduct problems, and no behaviour problems (control). Information was obtained about service use; recent (past 6 months), and early adulthood (since age 18 years) public expenditure costs were calculated.

High levels of childhood conduct problems were associated with a two- to threefold increase in early adulthood costs, mainly driven by criminal justice contacts. Although the mixed problems group had the highest recent costs in terms of receipt of benefits and health and social care, they had the lowest criminal justice costs.

High levels of early childhood conduct problems are particularly associated with increased health, social care and criminal justice costs in adulthood.

To examine associations among diet quality and dairy group membership, membership duration and non-member status for women and school-aged children in rural Kenya.

A cross-sectional survey, using chain referral sampling, was conducted and diet quality indices and prevalence of inadequate intake (PII) were estimated using the ‘estimated average requirement’ cut-off point method from single 24 h recalls, using a Kenyan nutrient database. PII was compared among members and non-members and among membership-duration groups.

Women and children of dairy group members (n 88), across membership-duration groups (1–3, 4–6, 7–9 and 10+ years), and non-members (n 23) living among members.

Small farms in central Kenya.

Members had higher energy, percentage of energy from animal-source foods and dietary diversity. Member women and children had lower PII for respectively seven and three of eleven micronutrients. Reduced PII for milk-source micronutrients was associated with membership duration for women. Many member women (38 %) had inadequate vitamin A intake and 39 % of member children had inadequate Zn intake. Members’ PII was also high (>45 %) for Fe, Ca and vitamin B12. A higher prevalence of being overweight among member women compared with non-member women suggested nutrition transition effects of higher farm productivity.

Dairy group membership was positively associated with adequate quantity and quality of diets for women and children. Long-term membership was insufficient to address micronutrient deficiencies. Understanding and addressing barriers to better diet quality and strategies to mitigate negative nutrition transition effects are needed to optimize nutritional outcomes of dairy group membership.

To assess the nutritional quality of lunchtime food consumption among elementary-school children on Prince Edward Island according to the source of food consumed (home v. school).

Students completed a lunchtime food record during an in-class survey. Dietary adequacy was assessed by comparing median micronutrient intakes with one-third of the Estimated Average Requirement; median macronutrient intakes were compared with the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess differences in nutrient intakes according to source of food consumed.

Elementary schools in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Grade 5 and 6 students (n 1980).

Foods purchased at school were higher in nutrient density for ten micronutrients (Ca, Mg, K, Zn, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12) compared with packed lunch foods from home, which were higher in three micronutrients (Fe, vitamin C and folate). School lunches provided sufficient protein but were higher in sugar and fat than home lunches. Foods brought from home were higher in carbohydrates, fibre and Na than foods purchased at school.

The overall nutritional quality of lunches was poor, regardless of source. A significant proportion of foods consumed by the students came from home sources; these were lower nutritional quality and were higher in Na than foods offered at school. Findings suggest that improving the dietary habits of school-aged children will require a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders, including parents.

Data assessing the effect of altitude on Fontan haemodynamics are limited to experimental models and case reports. Both suggest a detrimental impact. This study describes exercise performance in patients with Fontan circulation and matched controls at a low altitude versus at sea level. We sought to assess the impact of increasing altitude on functional capacity in patients with Fontan palliation.

A retrospective review of 22 patients at low altitude (1602 metres) and 119 patients at sea level with Fontan circulation, as well as age-, gender-, and altitude-matched controls, underwent maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Linear regression models were created to determine the influence of altitude on differences in exercise variables between Fontan patients and their matched controls.

Peak oxygen consumption was 28.4 millilitres per kilogram per minute (72% predicted) for the sea-level cohort and 24.2 millilitres per kilogram per minute (63% predicted) for the moderate altitude cohort. The matched case–control differences for patients at moderate altitude were greater for peak oxygen consumption (−29% against −13%, p = 0.04), anaerobic threshold (−36% against −5%, p = 0.001), and oxygen pulse (−35% against −18%, p = 0.007) when compared with patients living at sea level. When compared to institution-matched controls, the same parameters fell by 3%, 8.9%, and 4.2%, respectively, for each increase of 1000 feet in residential altitude (p = 0.03, p = 0.001, and p = 0.05, respectively).

Patients with Fontan circulation at a higher altitude have impairment in aerobic capacity when compared with patients at sea level. Reduction in exercise capacity is associated with a reduction in stroke volume, likely related to increased pulmonary vascular resistance.