Postgraduate medical journal
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Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the 10 most common tumours, and the most common primary liver malignancy, in the world. In the majority of cases, it occurs against a background of hepatitis B or C viral infection and/or liver cirrhosis, and is associated with a dismal prognosis of a few months. ⋯ The current lack of definitive data, however, limits the use of these therapies. Another option is gene therapy, which although in its infancy at the present time, may have a significant role to play in the future management of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Necrotizing soft tissue infections are a group of highly lethal infections that typically occur after trauma or surgery. Many individual infectious entities have been described, but they all have similar pathophysiologies, clinical features, and treatment approaches. The essentials of successful treatment include early diagnosis, aggressive surgical debridement, antibiotics, and supportive intensive treatment unit care. ⋯ Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may be useful, but it is not as important as aggressive surgical therapy. Despite advances in antibiotic therapy and intensive treatment unit medicine, the mortality of necrotizing soft tissue infections is still high. This article emphasizes common treatment principles for all of these infections, and reviews some of the more important individual necrotizing soft tissue infectious entities.
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There is ample evidence that many investigations sent from the accident and emergency department are inappropriate, thus affecting the quality of patient care. A study was designed to address this issue in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital of a large city. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out during the 3-month period 1 December 1996 to 28 February 1997. ⋯ Of the total 22,655 investigations done on all the 6401 patients seen, only 3.8% influenced the diagnosis, 3.0% influenced patient care in the emergency department, and 4.0% influenced the decision to admit or not. Amylase and arterial blood gases were found to be the most appropriate investigations. Analysis of reasons for unnecessary use of emergency tests suggested that improving supervision, decreasing the utilization of the emergency department as a phlebotomy service for the hospital, and abolition of routine blood tests would help to improve patient care.
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Multicenter Study
General hospital services for deliberate self-poisoning: an expensive road to nowhere?
This study was designed to investigate the clinical and economic aspects of deliberate self-poisoning services in four teaching hospitals in Leeds, Leicester, Manchester and Nottingham. We investigated the management of the current self-harm episode, including direct in-hospital costs, in 456 individuals who presented to hospital on a total of 477 occasions with deliberate self-poisoning during a 4-week period in 1996. Fewer than half of the patients received specialist psychosocial assessment or follow-up. ⋯ In-patient days and days on the intensive care unit accounted for 47% and 8% of the total costs, respectively. This study suggests that general hospital services are disorganised, with evidence of inequitable access to specialist assessment and after-care. This state of affairs cannot be justified on financial or clinical grounds.