Irish journal of medical science
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Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most important infectious cause of central nervous system disease and hearing loss in children. ⋯ According to our results, a maternal screening-based approach would be useful for only a very small group that is at risk of primary infection. Considering the cost of the scan, a routine maternal-based screening program is unadvisable in developing societies, but it is necessary for studies of different cohort groups and infectious diseases.
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Award incentives encourage higher standards of personal performance, which closely reflects the quality of patient care. We report the development, implementation, and success of our internal medicine department awards program. ⋯ In summary, we feel that this transparent, objective, and peer-nominated awards program could serve as an incentivized model for healthcare providers to elevate the standards of personal performance, which in turn will benefit the advancement of patient care.
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Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for malignant melanoma. Despite previous studies examining the surgical interval (SI) between the diagnostic excision biopsy (DEB) and definitive surgical management there remains few guidelines regarding an optimal time interval. The aim of this study was to determine the SI between DEB and definitive surgery and elucidate factors associated with delays in management of malignant melanoma. ⋯ Significant variations were noted in the SI predominantly accounted for by mode of referral and location of the malignant melanoma. Further investigation is required to elucidate factors affecting the SI and its subsequent effect on patient outcomes.
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There is an increasing demand for specialist public allergy services across Ireland. Little data exist on the patterns of allergic disease in Irish adults. The limited resources available require innovative strategies to ensure quality care delivery. ⋯ The majority of patients in this cohort did not have IgE-mediated allergic disease. Increased awareness of the features that differentiate allergy from non-allergic conditions such as food intolerance or chronic spontaneous urticaria is required. The allergy advice email service should be developed further to play a key role in education and care delivery in partnership primary care.
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As the Irish population ages, the management of chronic conditions in primary care is emerging as a challenge. The presence of co-morbid depression is common among such patients and may affect their response to treatment. ⋯ Patients with type 2 DM are more likely to suffer from severe depression than those without. Depression itself is not an independent predictor of diabetes control. However, it may be that the increased rates of depression observed in patients with type 2 DM are at least partially attributable to the burden of additional illnesses seen in these patients.