Background-Equations to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) are routinely used to assess kidney function. Current equations have limited precision and systematically underestimate measured GFR at higher levels.

Errors in diagnosis are, by far, the most common generic cause of malpractice suits against radiologists. In this category, breast cancer was the most frequently missed diagnosis, followed by nonvertebral fractures and spinal fractures. Failure to communicate and failure to recommend additional testing are both uncommon reasons for initiating a suit.

Surveillance for chronic kidney disease (CKD) using nationally representative samples of the US population is central in providing information on the magnitude and trends in CKD burden that will guide disease management and prevention planning for clinicians and public health authorities. We used a cross-sectional study design to estimate the change in prevalence of CKD over time using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. NHANES III (1988-1994 included 15,488 participants and NHANES rounds 1999-2004 included 13,233 participants over the age of 20 years with serum creatinine measurements who were examined in a mobile examination center. Early stages of CKD were defined by glomerular filtration rate (GFR) as estimated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) following the classification system established by the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative. Moderately reduced GFR increased in prevalence from 5.4% to 7.7% (P<0.001) and severely reduced GFR increased from 0.21% to 0.35% (P=0.02) from 1988-1994 to 1999-2004. Within CKD stage 3, 18.6 % (SE 1.6%) of individuals should be referred to a nephrologist following a proposed set of criteria for referral; referral rates were highest for individuals with diabetes and lower among whites compared to other race-ethnicity groups. These survey data suggest that the prevalence of CKD has increased between the years of 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Surveillance for early stages of CKD (CKD stages 1-4) should monitor these and other trends.

Fifty-two patients answered the questionnaires. Listening habits (music enjoyment and hours spent listening to music per week) significantly decreased following implantation when compared with the same parameters before deafness. Nevertheless, 52% of the patients enjoyed music post implantation. The quality of musical sound was rated >50 (0-100 scale) for the adjective pairs 'like-dislike', 'sounds like music-doesn't sound like music' and 'natural-mechanical' by most users. Med-el device users obtained better scores in the adjective pair 'sounds like music-doesn't sound like music' than Cochlear device users. Recipients rating higher scores for quality of sound enjoyed music post implantation and had higher total GBI scores than those rating lower scores.

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