FEATURE ARTICLES

As an increasing number of non-traditional users integrate point-of-care ultrasound into best practice, the technology is enabling faster diagnosis of life threatening conditions, reducing the risk of invasive procedures and improving patient outcomes. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The sharing of information between GPs and hospitals on prescribed medicines, when a patient moves between services, is often patchy, incomplete, and not shared quickly enough. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Following the recent news that almost half of all nursing staff have suffered a needlestick injury, The Clinical Services Journal examines the background and general health and safety issues relating to blood-borne viruses, outlining their potential implications for hospitals.

Certain trauma patients have been “neglected” as priorities in the NHS, according to the national clinical director for trauma care. This is about to change, he claims, with the introduction of the Best Practice Tariff and raised media interest in trauma services, following the Iraq war. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

From the risks and benefits of bowel cancer screening, to the burden of disease caused by alcohol consumption and obesity, the BSG’s annual meeting will discuss the hottest topics in gastroenterology and hepatology.

COLIN CALLOW, senior programme manager with the NHS Technology Adoption Centre, has been working with clinicians and managers to support the implementation of Doppler guided fluid management at three NHS acute Trusts, which are representative of routine clinical practice across England.

The latest reports show that improvements have been achieved in bowel cancer treatment, but gaps remain. Screening approaches, the use of diagnostic imaging and the wide variations that exist in surgical care have all been identified as priority areas that must be addressed

Patient care is being compromised by poor communication within healthcare teams and with patients, according to the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death.

LIBBY CAMPBELL OBE MPhil MSc RN RM reflects on the successful implementation of initiatives in Scotland that have helped to improve leadership capabilities, as well as the delivery of compassionate, patient-focused care.

JAMES BEAVES discusses the threat posed by multi-drug resistant bacteria, such as MRSA, ESBL-producing organisms, and VRE, as well as the role of new developments in rapid detection in reducing the burden of HCAIs.

Another one-week visit has been added to the portfolio of development programmes provided by Friends of African Nursing – a small UK-based charity run by healthcare professionals who volunteer to share their knowledge with colleagues in Africa. Trustee, JACKIE YOUNGER offers an insight into their work.

Patient Safety First is raising awareness of key interventions designed to reduce in-hospital cardiac arrest and mortality in deteriorating patients. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

With politicians talking of the need for public spending cuts, the commercial recruitment firms that supply temporary nurses to the NHS are coming under increasing pressure to justify their role.

3. difficile incidence may be twice as high as previously recorded, and many cases are being missed by current testing methods. A symposium dedicated to the issue discussed these findings, as well as the changes that are needed to tackle the problem head on.

A major incident can affect all parts of the NHS and its impact can be devastating. Hospitals must plan for such a contingency and ensure that all healthcare staff are trained and prepared should the need arise.

Barts and The London NHS Trust continually strives to improve patient safety and was named a finalist in the 2010 Patient Safety Awards1 for its efforts in introducing the Surgical Safety Checklist. The Clinical Services Journal provides an insight into how the Trust implemented change.

CHRIS PACKHAM discusses the issue of dermatitis in relation to hand hygiene products and argues that decisions on whether to change current practice should be based on evidence – not simply “perception”.

Thoracic aortic dissection is under-diagnosed and under-treated as the symptoms are often mistaken for a heart attack. If left untreated, 75% of sufferers die in the first two weeks and 90% die in the first three months. Experts in vascular medicine recently gathered to discuss the challenges in diagnosing and treating such disease. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The NHS Technology Adoption Centre’s next wave of “How to, Why to” guides are being launched to support the uptake of innovative technologies, designed to improve the quality of care, improve patient outcomes and enhance productivity.

A systems approach in order to probe deeper into the causes of hospital-based infection outbreaks is required, argues PATRICK WATERSON.