Journal of paediatrics and child health
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J Paediatr Child Health · Mar 2009
Simulated parents: developing paediatric trainees' skills in giving bad news.
In curriculum documents for medicine in undergraduate, post-graduate and continuing professional development, there is now a focus on communication skills. The challenges are to place communication skills in the crowded curriculum and then to construct and sustain a programme that uses an evidence-based approach to the teaching and learning of communication skills. For 6 years, we have conducted a programme that involves simulated parents supporting junior medical staff to refine their skills in communication, particularly in giving parents bad news. The aim of our study was to obtain a better understanding of the trainees' experiences of the programme. ⋯ The evaluation highlighted the value of an early-career experiential programme to highlight the importance of communication skills in post-graduate paediatrics practice.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Mar 2009
Ventilator-associated pneumonia in a paediatric intensive care unit in a developing country with high HIV prevalence.
To obtain preliminary prevalence, aetiological and outcome data on South African paediatric patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). ⋯ VAP is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and may relate to the high incidence of comorbid conditions in this population. Primary VAP pathogens differ from developed countries.
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J Paediatr Child Health · Mar 2009
Impact of antenatal diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome on the clinical presentation and surgical outcomes: the Australian experience.
Antenatal diagnosis of severe congenital heart disease enables planning of perinatal care of affected infants. Congenital heart surgery is highly centralised in Australia, and surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) currently takes place at a single institution, in order to ensure case volume. The study aims to review the impact of antenatal diagnosis on the early clinical course of infants with HLHS in Australia. ⋯ Antenatal diagnosis of HLHS was strongly associated with a superior pre-operative clinical status, but did not influence early survival after surgical palliation.