Irish journal of medical science
-
Urethral catheterisation (UC) is a frequently performed medical procedure and catheter-related injuries can lead to significant morbidity for patients. The aims of this study are to assess interns' exposure to UC and to design, implement and assess a structured UC skills workshop for hospital interns. ⋯ Interns have a lack of knowledge, experience and confidence with catheter insertion. Current training models are deficient. The introduction of a structured skills workshop may help to improve catheter insertion skills among interns.
-
Accelerated partial breast irradiation is a potential alternative to standard whole breast irradiation, following breast-conserving surgery, in the management of breast cancer. The MammoSite applicator-based technique allows for the delivery of a higher dose of radiation to the tumour bed and adjacent area, over a shorter treatment period. ⋯ The use of the MammoSite technique, as an alternative to standard whole breast irradiation, is feasible in a typical Irish clinical setting with integrated multidisciplinary team input.
-
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Beaumont Hospital is a nationally designated symptomatic breast cancer unit, independent of the national screening programme, BreastCheck. ⋯ Patients attending the symptomatic breast cancer unit Beaumont Hospital have different demographics compared with the national registry data. This presents particular challenges for management.
-
The aim of this study was to evaluate intradialytic hypotension (IDH) prevalence, influencing factors, and nursing interventions in hemodialysis (HD) patients. ⋯ Nursing staff awareness regarding the frequency of IDH in hemodialysis patients and the related symptoms needs to be increased.
-
The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation after cardiac surgery in our institution and investigate risk factors for PPM dependency to provide patients with accurate incidence figures at the time of consent for surgery. ⋯ As clinicians, it can be challenging to provide our patients with accurate information on the risk of PPM implantation relative to their operation. A unit-specific data may be a more accurate method of informing our patients on this risk.