Irish journal of medical science
-
Review Meta Analysis
The prevalence of depression in patients living with implantable cardioverter defibrillator: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Depression is a common disorder in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). There are a variety of studies estimated the prevalence of depression in these patients. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression in patients with ICD.
-
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a respiratory illness caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Clinical Blood Sciences Laboratory (CBSL) plays a key role in supporting the monitoring and management of patients with COVID-19 disease. ⋯ Given the rapidity with which patients with COVID-19 disease can deteriorate, we recommend regular testing with vigilance paid to the rate and trajectory of change in each of these parameters.
-
COVID19 pandemic poses a global threat, with many unknowns. The potential for resource limited countries to suffer huge mortality is of major concern. Prevention and risk reduction strategies are paramount in the current absence of effective treatment or a vaccine. There is a global shortage of personal protective equipment. ⋯ This article describes a simple way to make a cloth mask, suitable if medical masks are not available.
-
Clinical decision-making is a daily practice conducted by medical practitioners, yet the processes surrounding it are poorly understood. The influence of 'shortcuts' in clinical decision-making, known as heuristics, remains unknown. This paper explores heuristics and the valuable role they play in medical practice, as well as offering potential solutions to minimize the risk of incorrect decision-making. ⋯ It remains unknown if heuristics are primarily positive or negative for clinical decision-making. Future efforts should assess heuristics in real-time and controlled trials should be applied to assess the potential impact of mitigating factors in reducing the negative impact of heuristics and optimizing their efficiency for positive outcomes.
-
Review
A clinical audit and cost analysis of latent TB management at a tertiary referral centre in Ireland.
It is estimated that 24.8% of the world's population has latent TB. The World Health Organization's (WHO) End TB Strategy states that the systematic identification and management of LTBI in groups of people at high risk of reactivation is an essential part of TB elimination in low-incidence countries. ⋯ Our TB clinic is effective in the assessment and safe management of latent TB in accordance with national guidelines. Interventions for improvement are the creation of referral guidelines and a referral proforma and exploring alternative clinic models.