Irish medical journal
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Irish medical journal · Sep 2007
Consensus statements on the borderlands of neonatal viability: from uncertainty to grey areas.
The gestational age and birth weight cut off for intact survival in extremely preterm infants is unclear. There is uncertainty among obstetricians and neonatologists about when it is inadvisable to institute intensive care. The suggested definition in relation to viability is when mortality does not exceed 50% but the corresponding figure for disability is undetermined. ⋯ Girls have approximately 1 week advantage over boys, every day increases survival by 3%, the benefits of a full course of antenatal steroids, the problem of multiple birth, the baby's condition at delivery. Also concerns have been expressed about basing policy on short-term follow-up only. Extreme prematurity is both uncommon and complex and should be managed in high volume tertiary centres that are familiar with the necessary facets for decision making.
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Irish medical journal · Sep 2007
Medical students in the emergency department: how do patients view participation in clinical teaching?
A survey was carried out in the Emergency Department (ED) of a single urban Irish teaching hospital to determine patients' acceptability towards medical students and their attitudes towards participating in clinical teaching. We analysed 145 patient replies and found 45 (31%) patients with previous ED medical student contact. ⋯ When patients who did not have previous contact with medical students were included in the analysis, receptiveness to student examination and procedures remained high [119 (82%) and 102 (70%) respectively] despite almost none of the patients recalled reading information about participating in medical teaching. Up to 52% patients would vary their consent depending on the severity of their clinical complaint but the majority, 104 (81%) patients were satisfied that involving medical students would not alter their clinical care.