Irish journal of medical science
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The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on teenage psychiatry referrals following crisis presentation to the adult emergency department (ED) of an Irish tertiary hospital. In doing so, this study will specifically examine the effect of COVID-19 on self-injurious behaviour, suicidality and substance use among older adolescents (age 16/17 years). ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically examine the impact of COVID-19 on suicidality, self-harming behaviours, substance misuse and on-call ED presentations of teenagers in Ireland. This study demonstrates that coronavirus-related stress is associated with negative mental health sequelae for vulnerable at-risk older adolescents, as evidenced by a rise in ED presentations and on-call referrals since the onset of the pandemic. Presentation of increased numbers of under-18's for psychiatry assessment at the adult ED/general hospital indicates a deepening chasm between available and aspirational emergency (adolescent-specific) psychiatric care in the community. Mobilising resilience factors and maximising coping skills for at-risk youth will inform tailored intervention and support strategies along with adequate resourcing of services for vulnerable adolescents in the community.
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The purpose of our study was to review a large cohort of athletes of all levels presenting with groin pain who underwent investigation with MRI and to determine what the commonest patterns of injury were. We aimed to explore whether particular findings were commonly found in association and whether measurable gender differences exist in the incidence of specific injuries. ⋯ Significant gender differences exist in the frequency with which specific injuries are observed. Female athletes are also significantly underrepresented; this is likely a multifactorial phenomenon; however, the possibility of unconscious referrer bias must be considered.
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During the COVID-19 lockdown, social isolation from school closures and home visitation restrictions compounded known risk factors for child maltreatment. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence and types of child protection concern (CPC) among inpatients during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to the matched timeframe in 2019. We retrospectively reviewed the CPC assessments performed at Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and Tallaght from March 13 to August 31, 2020, and the same period in 2019. ⋯ Case complexity, defined as involving two or more types of CPC, increased with 48.8% in 2020 versus 13.5% in 2019 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, there were fewer assessments for CPC during the 2020 lockdown. However, the complexity of the CPC cases was significantly increased in 2020.
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There is a worldwide struggle to quit smoking and prevent relapsing. Aerobic exercises are frequently utilized to aid in smoking cessation and prevent relapse. ⋯ The benefits of mild and moderate aerobic exercise on quality of life and anxiety are similar. However, mild-intensity aerobic exercises may be suitable for sleep difficulties while moderate-intensity aerobic exercises may be preferred for reducing smoking addiction.
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive, neurodegenerative disease. In Ireland, clinical diagnostics and laboratory testing remain the responsibility of the managing clinician and the Neuropathology Department at the Beaumont Hospital, respectively. Centralized review of individual cases is not undertaken. ⋯ These findings support the need for improvements to the Irish National CJD Surveillance Unit to maximize antemortem diagnostic accuracy. On foot of this, a clinical CJD Multidisciplinary Team (CJD MDT) has been established to provide a second opinion on (i) the patient's clinical history, (ii) neuroradiology and (iii) and neurophysiology reports (where available).