Irish journal of medical science
-
Depression is a very prevalent mental disorder affecting 340 million people globally and is projected to become the leading cause of disability and the second leading contributor to the global burden of disease by the year 2020. ⋯ The presented evidence suggests that exercise and physical activity have beneficial effects on depression symptoms that are comparable to those of antidepressant treatments.
-
Lemierre's syndrome is a rare disease that results in an oropharyngeal infection, which precipitates an internal jugular vein thrombosis and metastatic infection. Fusobacterium necrophorum is an anaerobic Gram-negative bacillus and has been identified as the causative agent. ⋯ Infection of heart valves can produce many of the signs and symptoms associated with Lemierre's syndrome. We describe the diagnosis, investigation and optimal management of this rare disorder.
-
Dementia patients in Ireland live 8 years on average after diagnosis and health policy aims to ensure patients are cared for in the home for as long as possible. ⋯ Dementia carers form an important yet understated patient group who present unique challenges for general practitioners in Ireland.
-
Patients undergoing major breast surgery have an almost negligible need for blood transfusions. However, type and screen requests are still routinely performed. This represents an inefficient utilization of resources and unnecessary workload for laboratory staff. The aim of this study was to ascertain whether pre-operative blood typing is justified in patients undergoing surgical procedures with an intermediate transfusion probability. ⋯ The need for routine group and hold blood requests is not justified for patients undergoing elective breast surgery and represents a waste of clinical resources. A more targeted approach will not only reduce the demand on blood products but also reduce the associated costs to blood transfusion services.
-
Ward-based patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) for postoperative pain control was introduced at our institution in 2006. We audited the efficacy and safety of ward-based PCEA from January 2006 to December 2008. ⋯ Effective and safe postoperative analgesia can be provided with PCEA in a general surgical ward without recourse to high-dependency supervision.