Irish journal of medical science
-
We aimed to assess stroke care at an Irish university teaching hospital and benchmark against national (Irish National Audit of Stroke 2019) and international (6th SSNAP Annual Report; American Heart Association, 2013) practice to inform a quality improvement strategy. ⋯ Using national and international audit data as an institutional benchmark provides a standard with which a service can be compared to highlight areas for improvement. We identified mood screening, swallow screening, thrombectomy rates, length of stay and time to neuroimaging as key areas for development in our centre. We are currently completing a process map to determine cause, effect, and solutions, and we will implement change using PDSA methodology as per SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. The results of the re-audit cycle for 2020 will be available in 2021 to inform our progress. Ongoing quality improvement is essential for stroke care, which is a leading cause of death and disability in Ireland.
-
Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) has gained worldwide acceptance as a means of local excision of early rectal cancers and benign rectal lesions. However, it is technically challenging due to the limitations of rigid laparoscopic instruments in the narrow rectal lumen. ⋯ Robotic TAMIS represents an exciting new development that may be more versatile than traditional TAMIS. In this review, we describe the first case of robotic TAMIS performed in our country and a review of current literature on the technique.
-
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was first documented in late 2019, but within months, a worldwide pandemic was declared due to the easily transmissible nature of the virus. Research to date on the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 has focused largely on conventional B and T lymphocytes. ⋯ We discuss the potential use of these cells as therapeutic agents in the COVID-19 setting. Due to the rapidly evolving situation presented by COVID-19, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of this disease and the mechanisms underlying its immune response. Through this, we may be able to better help those with severe cases and lower the mortality rate by devising more effective vaccines and novel treatment strategies.
-
Determining how many female patients who underwent breast imaging meet the eligibility criteria for genetic testing for familial pancreatic cancer (FPC). ⋯ About 10.4% of the female patients were classified as being at high risk for FPC. This finding emphasizes the importance of applying criteria to the general population, in order to ensure that individuals with high risk are identified early.
-
The emergence of the novel coronavirus Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease COVID-19 has impacted enormously on non-COVID-19-related hospital care. Curtailment of intensive care unit (ICU) access threatens complex surgery, particularly impacting on outcomes for time-sensitive cancer surgery. Oesophageal cancer surgery is a good example. This study explored the impact of the pandemic on process and short-term surgical outcomes, comparing the first wave of the pandemic from April to June in 2020 with the same period in 2019. ⋯ Continuing surgical resection for oesophageal cancer was feasible and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland. The national response to this threat was therefore successful by these criteria in the curative management of oesophageal cancer.