Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Mar 2004
Career intentions and prospects of basic surgical trainees in the Northern Region of England.
To determine the seniority and career intentions of doctors in posts recognised for basic surgical training in the Northern Region of England and to relate it to the number of specialist registrar posts available. ⋯ Planning for surgical training and workforce needs to be supported by information about trainees' career plans and prospects.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Mar 2004
A review of 187 gunshot wound admissions to a teaching hospital over a 54-month period: training and service implications.
Violence involving the use of firearms has increased in the UK over the past decade. This study assesses the implications of such injuries for service provision and training by reviewing the experience at one hospital. ⋯ Gunshot wounds present a heavy demand on the clinical and financial resources of the receiving hospital, and surgeons responsible for unselected acute admissions in "general surgery" should be capable of dealing with these indiscriminate injuries. Current training and service trends towards increasing sub-specialisation may mitigate against them achieving or retaining this capability.
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Not only is cocaine a powerfully addictive and dangerous drug of abuse, the use of the purified cocaine derivative crack has also reached epidemic proportions. Apart from causing fatal cardiorespiratory complications, crack cocaine is capable of producing surgical emergencies, which may or may not be associated with the pharmacology of cocaine itself. This is a report of crack-induced pneumoperitoneum, the mechanism of which seemed to be related to the prolonged Valsalva manoeuvre during crack smoking. Other differential diagnoses of crack related pneumoperitoneum are also discussed.
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Ann R Coll Surg Engl · Sep 2003
A prospective audit of the implementation of the 2-week rule for assessment of suspected urological cancers.
All urology departments are under considerable pressure to comply with the UK Government's implementation of the 2-week rule for suspected cancer referrals. A prospective audit was planned to begin 6 months after introduction of cancer referral guidelines and a central data collection process, to investigate the local workload generated by these referrals, and compliance with the 2-week rule. ⋯ DoH criteria for cancer referrals grossly underestimate the true magnitude of workload demanded of the service.