Irish journal of medical science
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In most high-income countries, emergency departments (ED) represent the principal point of access forcer by critically ill or injured patients. Unlike inpatient units, ED healthcare workers (ED HCWs) have demonstrated relative lack of adherence to hand hygiene (HH) guidelines, commonly citing frequency of intervention and high rates of admission, which reflect severity of cases encountered. ⋯ Multimodal approaches appear to have enhanced HHC moderately among ED HCWs. Elevated complexity associated with critically ill patients, and ED overcrowding, are contributing factors to relatively low compliance rates observed. Strategies to improve HHC rates may need to acknowledge, and cater for, the context of an unpredictable environment.
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Ireland's population is living longer, and the prevalence of any LUTS is estimated to be 63-83% in adult men, increasing with age. Ireland has one of the lowest urologists per population ratio in Europe, at approximately 1:127,027. The patients waiting the longest are those with routine benign conditions such as men with LUTS. The impact on quality of life for men experiencing LUTS can be profound. ⋯ This study demonstrates the safety, efficacy and financial advantage of an ANP-led clinic for adult men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms previously triaged by a consultant urologist.
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It is estimated that the Roma are the largest ethnic minority population in Europe (HSE in Roma Intercultural Guide, 2020). There is a dearth of information in the Irish medical literature on the Roma in Ireland. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the Roma in Ireland, to identify Roma-specific culture, family structure, paediatric illness, and health equality within the context of the Irish population. ⋯ Often overlooked, small indigenous groups or nomadic races have unmet medical needs (National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy in Justice.ie, 2017). Across Europe, they have a lower life expectancy and higher burden of illness due to lower socioeconomic status, discrimination, and poor access to health services (National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy in Justice.ie, 2017). Cultural competence is necessary to provide effective healthcare.
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BACKGROUND : Since the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 began, our understanding of the pathogenesis and immune responses to this virus has continued to evolve. It has been shown that this infection produces natural detectable immune responses in many cases. However, the duration and durability of immunity and its effect on the severity of the illness are still under investigation. Moreover, the protective effects of antibodies against new SARS-CoV-2 variants still remain unclear. ⋯ In conclusion, none of the anti-nucleocapsid-positive HCWs developed SARS-CoV-2 re-infection in this study, and the presence of IgG anti-nucleocapsid antibodies substantially reduce the risk of re-infection for a period of 6 months.