Irish journal of medical science
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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication of hospital admission. The incidence of hospital-acquired deep vein thrombosis is approximately 10-40% amongst medical and general surgical patients without prophylaxis. Pulmonary embolism accounts for 5-10% of deaths in hospitalised patients, making hospital-acquired VTE the most common preventable cause of in-hospital death. Studies suggest that prophylactic measures are widely under- and inappropriately used. ⋯ Compliance with VTE guidelines is inadequate. Medication charts with specific sections on VTE assessment and prophylaxis may increase compliance with guidelines.
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Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for malignant melanoma. Despite previous studies examining the surgical interval (SI) between the diagnostic excision biopsy (DEB) and definitive surgical management there remains few guidelines regarding an optimal time interval. The aim of this study was to determine the SI between DEB and definitive surgery and elucidate factors associated with delays in management of malignant melanoma. ⋯ Significant variations were noted in the SI predominantly accounted for by mode of referral and location of the malignant melanoma. Further investigation is required to elucidate factors affecting the SI and its subsequent effect on patient outcomes.
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There is an increasing demand for specialist public allergy services across Ireland. Little data exist on the patterns of allergic disease in Irish adults. The limited resources available require innovative strategies to ensure quality care delivery. ⋯ The majority of patients in this cohort did not have IgE-mediated allergic disease. Increased awareness of the features that differentiate allergy from non-allergic conditions such as food intolerance or chronic spontaneous urticaria is required. The allergy advice email service should be developed further to play a key role in education and care delivery in partnership primary care.
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Previous researches have been focused on revealing the functions of each individual gene and/or pathway in the initiation, progression and maintenance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanistic relationships among different genes and/or pathways are largely unknown. ⋯ Our study greatly improves the understanding of the HCC development in a systematic manner and provides the potential clue for exploiting drugs which might target the most significant genes and/or signaling pathways.
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Manometry is the gold standard investigation of innate or acquired motility disorders in the oesophagus. New technology in the form of high-resolution manometry (HRM) may supplant traditional water-perfused manometry and enhance standardisation of manometric interpretation and reporting. This study reports on a 10-year experience of 5,184 consecutive patients using the traditional methods, and an early experience with HRM. ⋯ For patients referred for reflux related symptoms, motility disorders are present in 22% of the cases. Conversely, of the patients referred for dysphagia, motility disturbances are detected in 52% of the cases sent for manometry. Our initial experience shows that HRM technology is adding a valuable dimension and clearer understanding of motility patterns in the dysphagic patient.