Brit J Hosp Med
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Sinonasal inflammatory disease is very common and all clinicians who care for these patients should understand the topical treatment options available. This article reviews the utility and application of steroidal, saline, decongestant, antihistamine and anticholinergic preparations for the treatment of sinonasal disease, with a particular focus on evidence-based guidelines for use in both specialist and non-specialist healthcare settings.
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Peroneal tendon dislocation or subluxation is an orthopaedic condition that usually occurs as a result of injury to the superior peroneal retinaculum. The peroneal muscles are located in the lateral compartment of the leg, and their tendons run in the retromalleolar groove anchored by the superior peroneal retinaculum. ⋯ Plain X-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are useful for imaging of the injury and in planning for surgery. Operative management has high success rates and there are multiple surgical techniques available, including superior peroneal retinaculum repair, tenoplasty, bone block procedures, groove deepening and endoscopic approaches, with little variation in outcome found between the approaches.
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Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. This article highlights the importance of succinct history taking and a thorough clinical examination when managing a patient with lower back pain in hospital. Furthermore, it encourages the clinician to consider the pertinent causes of low back pain such as age-related degeneration, malignancy, trauma, infection and seronegative inflammatory spondyloarthropathies, and looks at the diagnosis, imaging features and key management options which are available in secondary care.
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Supermicrosurgery was popularised in 1997 and is defined as a technique of microvascular anastomosis for single nerve fascicles and vessels 0.3-0.8 mm in diameter. It requires the use of powerful microscopes, ultradelicate microsurgical instruments and specialist dyes. The development of supermicrosurgery has vastly improved the ability of microsurgeons to create true perforator flaps with minimal donor site morbidity for reconstructive surgery and improved the precision of additional microsurgical techniques. This review outlines the origins and history of supermicrosurgery, its current applications in reconstructive surgery (including fingertip reconstructions, true perforator flap surgery, nerve flaps and lymphoedema surgery), supermicrosurgery training and future directions for the field.
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This article reviews the need for empathy, and what happens in its absence in an acute hospital setting, using the example of a homeless man in an emergency department. Three simple but meaningful changes that all healthcare practitioners can make are recommended to promote empathy.