Irish journal of medical science
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic dramatically impacted the delivery of hospital care in terms of quality and safety. ⋯ The severity of complaints was significantly higher in Q4 2019 than in Q4 2020, which requires further exploration as the reasons for this are unclear. The lack of a difference in the frequency and content of complaints during the two time periods was unexpected. However, this may be linked to a number of factors, including public support for the healthcare system, existing system-level issues in the hospital, or indeed increased staff collaboration in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.
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There are limited studies examining alcohol consumption in Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) players. In a previous paper, we reported excess alcohol consumption, alcohol-related harms and binge drinking amongst elite GAA players. In that survey, the players were provided with an opportunity to provide comments on alcohol. This current study analyses these comments. ⋯ These data show players recognise intermittent binge drinking with periods of abstinence and alcohol-related harms. Further initiatives regarding alcohol harm reduction merit consideration including prohibition of alcohol sponsorship, similar to the GAA's ban on gambling.
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Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and is a major risk factor for stroke, with an incidence rate of 4-5% per year. The use of DOACs is recommended for specific patient populations however the risk of bleeding commonly precludes their use. Left atrial appendage occlusion is a relatively novel procedure recommended for such patients. We set out to analyse the initial success and safety of this procedure in a single site. ⋯ We report lower technical success and procedural success rates in an older population cohort than historically studied, 90% of whom had an absolute contraindication to oral anticoagulation, with higher CHADS2VaSc and HASBLED scores than commonly studied.
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Anxiety and depression commonly occur and correlate with poor prognosis in patients with cancer. The study aimed to assess the anxiety and depression in patients with postsurgical non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using both Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Self-Rating Anxiety/Depression Scale (SAS/SDS) and to investigate their risk factors and linkage with prognosis. ⋯ Anxiety and depression are prevalent and linked with poor survival in patients with postsurgical NSCLC. Meanwhile, gender, comorbidities, advanced tumor features, adjuvant therapy, and postoperative complications relate to the prevalence of anxiety and depression.
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The American Diabetes Association/European Association for the Study of Diabetes recently recommend the preferential use of continuous glucose monitoring(CGM) over self-monitoring of blood glucose for the management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM). For most adults with T1DM, the recommended target time in range is > 70% with < 4% time below range. In Ireland, CGM use has become increasingly popular since 2021. We aimed to audit adult CGM use and analyse CGM metrics in our cohort of adults with diabetes attending a tertiary diabetes centre. ⋯ Our study highlights the challenges in optimising the use of CGM. Our team aims to focus on providing additional education to CGM users, more frequent touch-base virtual reviews and increasing access to hybrid closed-loop insulin pump therapy.