Irish journal of medical science
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Patients with breast pain are usually seen in 'one-stop clinic' (OSC) with breast imaging. In the absence of associated red flag features, the incidence of breast cancer is extremely low. With increase in referrals the OSC capacity is over-stretched. We developed a consultant nurse-led dedicated 'breast pain clinic' in September 2021 without routine breast imaging. After meticulous history and examination, patients obtained detailed counselling and advice regarding breast pain management. If any abnormality was noted then appointment was given for OSC. ⋯ A consultant nurse-led 'breast pain clinic' provides service improvement as it eases the pressure on the OSC. Most patients were managed without breast imaging with high level of patient satisfaction and low rereferral rate.
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People who interact with healthcare services have an ethical and legal right to control their own lives, to make informed decisions, and to consent to what happens to them. For consent to be considered ethically and legally valid, three key criteria must be met: consent must be given voluntarily; people must be sufficiently informed of all options; and people should have capacity to make the decision to give or withhold their consent. ⋯ The results highlight interesting similarities and differences in relation to consent between members of the public thinking about a possible treatment, surgery, or procedure and those patients who have actually been through the process in the past 12 months. Recommendations have been developed on the basis of these findings to co-design improvements in consent practices.
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Approximately 7000 total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgeries occur in Ireland each year. A number of preoperative factors have been identified that increase the risk of postoperative blood transfusion after THA, including anaemia. The ability to identify patients at risk may allow preoperative management strategies to reduce blood transfusions. Data from Irish orthopaedic patients is currently lacking. ⋯ Preoperative anaemia was common in an Irish orthopaedic population undergoing THA. Preoperative anaemia predisposes patients to the greatest increased risk of postoperative blood transfusions. The other factors associated with the need for postoperative transfusion were ASA grade 3 or more and age greater than 65 years. Patients who received postoperative blood transfusions had a significantly increased length of hospital stay.
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This study investigates maxillofacial fractures in non-indigenous ethnic groups who were reviewed in the national maxillofacial unit in Ireland. The aim of this study was to highlight any potential trends in presentation of facial fractures in non-indigenous groups in comparison to previous reports which have included all ethnicities. This unique study is based on the fact that Ireland has only recently transformed into a diverse, multi-cultural country. This is unlike countries such as the UK and USA which have a long history of multicultural integration. ⋯ This study shows how maxillofacial units need to adapt to the changing trends in Irish demographics with increased demand for resources such as translation services. A further study could evaluate the rapidly changing demographic with mass migration of people currently seeking refuge in Western Europe.
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The current study aimed to determine the association between sleep duration and quality with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among the Iranian older persons. ⋯ The current study confirmed that short sleep duration and poor sleep quality were independently associated with lower HRQoL in the older persons. Therefore, interventional courses should be planned to enrich sleep-related healthcare and general HRQoL in the older persons.