Do falls and cognitive dysfunction impair health-related quality of life in patients with cirrhosis?
Falls and cognitive dysfunction are independent factors associated with impaired HRQoL in patients with cirrhosis. Strategies addressed to improve HRQoL in these patients should consider the treatment of cognitive dysfunction and prevention of falls.
AR(in vivo) does not reflect cast geometry, probably because of (1) underestimation by AR because of methodological problems caused by the cavity geometry, (2) deformation of compliant structures within the nasal passageways resulting from the casting procedure, and/or (3) the casting material reaches parts of the nasal cavity not accessible to sound, e.g., sinuses or recesses. Nevertheless, this study does not preclude the use of AR as a sensitive method suited to evaluate relative changes in nasal volume caused by experimental challenges of the nasal mucosa. Compared with AR(in vivo), casts still may be of use but it is less sensitive to measure relative changes after experimental challenge.