Scot Med J
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Colorectal cancer ranks highly amongst all cancer sites in incidence and contributes to a substantial number of cancer related deaths in the United Kingdom. However, screening of average risk individuals has been shown to reduce both disease associated mortality and incidence. This paper provides an overview of both current and future screening methods for colorectal cancer, as well as current practice for screening in both average and high risk individuals.
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To determine, using a consensus based methodology, the rate and nature of adverse events (AEs) among patients admitted to acute medicine, acute surgery and obstetrics in a large teaching hospital in Scotland. ⋯ This study supports the need to continue the traditional retrospective record review to identify adverse events. The current hospital-based reporting of adverse events does not provide a complete measure of adverse events and needs to be complemented by other measures.
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Historical Article
The Scottish Society Of Physicians--part 2: the later years.
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Concerns about the safety and supply of donor blood mean that clinicians are increasingly looking for alternatives to allogenic blood transfusion. One such alternative is cell salvage. Theoretical concerns about the safety of giving salvaged blood to obstetric patients have so far limited its use in maternity patients, but its use in obstetrics is now growing. ⋯ It would appear that practical issues such as staff training and maintaining familiarity with the technology are greater barriers to the use of cell salvage during obstetric procedures than concerns over safety or financial costs. Although cell salvage would appear to be safe, its use in obstetrics must be accompanied by ongoing audit and detailed data should be collected for each case.
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The effect of intra-neural local anaesthetic infusion on pain following major lower limb amputation.
Critical lower limb ischaemia has an annual incidence of 500-1000 per million and around a quarter will undergo a major lower limb amputation. Post operative pain and phantom pain are recognised complications. ⋯ Postoperative intra-neural local anaesthetic infusion is a safe and effective technique. It reduces post-operative opioid analgesia requirement and seems to reduce phantom pain development.