Brit J Hosp Med
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Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count under 150x109/litre. It may be found as a bystander to other pathology or directly related to an underlying haematological condition. ⋯ This article guides the general hospital physician through the narrow but potentially confusing differential diagnoses related to thrombocytopenia, with particular focus on immune thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy deserves special consideration and will not be discussed in this article.
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Satisfaction of the best practice tariff criteria for primary hip and knee replacement enables on average an additional £560 of reimbursement per case. The Getting it Right First Time report highlighted poor awareness of these criteria among orthopaedic departments. ⋯ The authors would urge others to review their compliance with these four best practice tariff criteria to ensure that they too are not missing out on this significant reimbursement sum.
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This article reviews the key considerations when managing a patient with a difficult airway. The difficult airway may be anticipated from preassessment allowing time for investigations and preparation. ⋯ Current guidelines are included that demonstrate how the techniques are incorporated into an overall strategy with a plan A-D when failure occurs. It is critical to progress through such an algorithm in a timely manner to prevent the onset of hypoxia.