Irish journal of medical science
-
In laboratory medicine, reference intervals (RIs) are key decision support tools used to guide the clinical interpretation of numerical test results. Best practice suggests each laboratory establishes RIs in the local population prior to introducing an assay into routine clinical practice. ⋯ Normative biological intervals established in a healthy adult Irish population for 37 commonly requested biochemical/haematological parameters will be a valuable aid to result interpretation in clinical laboratories after appropriate verification in accordance with ISO 15189: 2012.
-
COVID-19 outbreak can impact mental health including health care workers. ⋯ This study showed the psychological impact of COVID-19 in GPs during the sanitary lockdown period including burnout and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Up to 42% of GPs reported psychological disturbances. Interventions to promote mental health well-being of healthcare workers need to be developing.
-
The first pillar of the End-TB Strategy is "early diagnosis and prompt treatment". Nevertheless, long delays in starting tuberculosis (TB) treatment are reported. We aimed to describe the demographics and clinical features of TB in the west of Ireland and better understand the delays in treatment. ⋯ TB patients experienced long symptom durations in the community prior to presentation. Many TB patients experienced delays in diagnosis and treatment following presentation. Both pre-hospital and in-hospital delays need to be addressed in order to 'End-TB'.
-
Hip fracture prevention is an essential component in elderly patient care. History of prior fracture is a significant risk factor for subsequent hip fracture. There are variable rates of treatment for these groups of patients. The aims of this study were to make an assessment of how many hip fracture patients over a 1 year period had a previous fracture and to assess whether or not these patients were on anti-osteoporotic medication. ⋯ Vertebral fractures were the most common preceding fracture in hip fracture patients. There were many patients with a history of fragility fractures that were not on preventative medication. Overall there were good prescription rates of anti-osteoporotic medication. There were significantly higher rates of prescription amongst females compared with males.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an enforced 8-week induction period (18 May to 12 July 2020) for all new interns in Ireland. These unprecedented circumstances presented a unique opportunity to assess this induction period. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic has inadvertently identified a model of internship induction that benefits interns, their colleagues and their patients through the production of more technically capable interns.