This retrospective study describes risk/protection factors for the development of clinical West Nile Fever (WNF) in equids, compares clinical presentation in three European countries, France, Italy and Hungary, and creates classification and regression trees (CART) to facilitate clinical diagnosis. The peak of WNF occurrence was observed in September whatever the country. A significant difference between Italy and France was observed in the delay between initial clinical signs and veterinary consultation. No clinical sign was significantly associated with WNF. Despite similar clinical presentations in the three countries, occurrence of hyperthermia was more frequently reported in France. Classification and regression tree demonstrated the major importance of geographical locality and month to reach a diagnosis and emphasized differences in predominant clinical signs depending on the period of detection of the suspected case (epizootic or not). However, definite diagnosis requires specific serological tests. Centralized reporting system and time-space risk mapping should be promoted in every country.

Objectives To compare outcomes one year after hospital admission for patients initially discharged with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), other ischaemic heart disease (other IHD), congestive heart failure (CHF) or stroke. Design: Cohort study. Setting Hunter Area Heart and Stroke Register, which registers all patients admitted with heart disease or stroke to any of the 22 hospitals in the Hunter Area Health Service in New South Wales. Patients 4981 patients with AMI, other IHD, CHF or stroke admitted to hospital as an emergency between 1 July 1995 and 30 June 1997 and followed for at least one year. Main outcome measures Death from any cause or emergency hospital readmission for cardiovascular disease. Results: ln‐hospital mortality varied from 1% of those with other IHD to 22% of those with stroke. Almost a third of all patients discharged alive (and 38% of those aged 70 or more) had died or been readmitted within one year. This varied from 22% of those with stroke to 49% of those with CHF. The causes of death and readmission were from a spectrum of cardiovascular disease, regardless of the cause of the original hospital admission. Conclusions Data from this population register show the poor outcome, especially with increasing age, among patients admitted to hospital with cardiovascular disease. This should alert us to determine whether optimal secondary prevention strategies are being adopted among such patients.

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SUMMARY Both sensory and motor nerve conduction measurements have been made on the posterior tibial nerve in children with spina bifida cystica during operative closure soon after birth. The motor measurements were repeated up to the age of 9 months and compared to velocities in normals and myelomeningoceles after the age of 3 years. The sensory measurements made proved technically difficult as the recorded action potentials were very much smaller than previous work suggested. Both sensory and motor conduction velocities were considerably slower than in normals during the 9 months following closure, but were not significantly different after three years of age. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Sensorische als auch motorisches Messungen der Nervenübertragung, wurden am hinteren Tibialnerv, an Kindern mit spina bifida cystica, während der Schliessungs‐Operation bald nach der Geburt, vorgenommen. Zwei motorisches Messungen wurden bis zum Alter von 9 Monaten wiederholt und mit den Geschwindigkeitsreaktionen von normalen und myelomenigozelischen Kindern, nach dem Alter von 3 Jahren verglichen. Die sensorischen Messungen erwiesen sich als technisch schwierig, da die verzeichneten Aktions‐Potentiale viel geringer waren als zuvorige Tätigkeit vermuten Hess. Sowohl sensorische als auch motorische Geschwindigkeitsreaktionen waren beachtlich langsamer als bei normalen Kindern, während der 9 Monatsperiode nach der Schliessung, aber nach dem Alter von drei Jahren war der Unterschied nicht mehr bedeutend.