Ann Acad Med Singap
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Jan 1987
Reactions to death and dying by doctors, medical students and nurses in Singapore 1985-86.
Questionnaires concerning their own death were given to groups of general practitioners, final year medical students, 2nd year medical students, post-basic nurses, nurses working with the home nursing foundation and religious nursing sisters. The results of the questionnaire indicate that the majority wish to die at home with their families present, and would like spiritual advice. The majority of the respondents believe in a life after death. ⋯ The majority were not satisfied with the level of care given. Further support for the professional carers in the form of multidisciplinary seminars, and the formation of a hospice movement was deemed necessary by the majority. The greatest indication of problems in satisfying the needs of the dying patient and the family is in the desire to legislate euthanasia by 23% of doctors and 38% of nurses.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Jul 1986
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA study of inhalational sedation with nitrous oxide/oxygen for oral surgery in Hong Kong Chinese.
Thirty healthy Chinese between 17-36 years undergoing extraction of bilaterally similarly impacted third molars in two visits were randomly given nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalational sedation to supplement local anaesthesia or unsupplemented local anaesthesia for operation on one side and the alternative for the other. The majority in the study had never heard of inhalational sedation being available to supplement local anaesthesia, and when given a chance to experience this method, the majority preferred it to local anaesthesia alone. ⋯ With both methods, the operating conditions were assessed to be good, with good patient co-operation. Inhalational sedation with nitrous oxide/oxygen had no significant effect on vital signs, intraoperative or post operative adverse effects and patients were street fit within ten minutes of ending sedation.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Oct 1985
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialIs preoperative shaving really necessary?
A randomised prospective study was done to assess the necessity of shaving before operation. Seven hundred and sixteen cases were included in this study. ⋯ The clean wound infection rate was 5.08% for the traditional method group and 5.56% for the alternate method group. The results suggest that routine shaving, as part of preoperative preparation, has no advantage in reducing wound infection rate.
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Our understanding of haemostatic mechanisms has increased in the last decades. This knowledge at the cellular and molecular levels has helped us to appreciate the complexity of haemostatic mechanisms and their disturbance in various disorders. ⋯ More study needs to be done to define what constitutes normal haemostasis in newborns. The better understanding of control mechanisms of haemostasis will help us in diagnosis and treatment.
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Ann Acad Med Singap · Jul 1985
The role of fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the management of respiratory burns.
We found that fibreoptic bronchoscopy was a useful, simple, safe and accurate method in the diagnosis of inhalation injury, determining the type, the site and the extent of damage sustained. The most common mucosal damage was erythema and oedema of the supraglottic and glottic tissues, though in a few cases more severe and extensive injury was seen. ⋯ Endotracheal intubation could then be carried out promptly. Changes in clinical features and laboratory results were too slow to be of use in the prediction of upper airway obstruction, but could be indirect indicators of lower and peripheral airway injury.