The British journal of theatre nursing : NATNews : the official journal of the National Association of Theatre Nurses
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Theatre footwear frequently appears to be contaminated with blood. We assessed objectively the nature and degree of contamination of theatre shoes after cleaning. Two hundred pairs of theatre shoes were randomly selected from three hospitals in South East Wales. ⋯ We have demonstrated that current shoe cleaning practices are ineffective. We propose methods that should eliminate this risk. Procedures will need to be defined.
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Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a widespread and often underestimated problem that invariably falls onto the shoulders of nursing staff. In order to find out how nurses view this condition, a major survey was conducted amongst members of the National Association of Theatre Nurses.
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Most patients who undergo major surgery suffer severe postoperative pain. This fact has been known by many generations of health care workers, and highlighted in the report of the Working Party organised jointly by the Colleges of Surgeons and Anaesthetists of Great Britain. Although effective therapies exist they are frequently not used in an effective manner. ⋯ Many patients are not given adequate doses for fear of inducing side effects. It is obvious that provision of postoperative pain relief tailored to each individual patient's needs requires more than a 'prn Omnopon' prescription. The level of pain needs to be monitored in much the same way as we would monitor blood pressure or urine output postoperatively and health workers who understand these readings and the appropriate treatment should review them.
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One of the most common and distressing side effects after surgery performed under general anaesthetic is postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Indeed, for many patients, PONV is the most distressing feature of their operation and some may become anxious about having another operation because of this. The medical and economic consequences of PONV can also be serious. This article looks at the incidence, causes, and current management of PONV, and the development of a new drug for the prevention and treatment of this.
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In general menorrhagia is poorly understood and tends to be unsatisfactorily treated. The word menorrhagia is derived from the Greek men month and rhegynai, to burst forth. Patients complain of increased menstrual loss, requiring more sanitary protection, or of the passage of clots. ⋯ Menorrhagia must be defined in terms of measured menstrual blood loss. Many medications effectively diminish blood loss, but the symptoms usually return after the therapy has been stopped. Long term treatment is also restricted due to the potential side effects associated with some drugs.