FEATURE ARTICLES

VAL O’BRIEN, national chairman, Institute of Decontamination Sciences, provides an overview of the topical issues that will be addressed at this year’s IDSc conference.

New guidance on decontamination is expected to have a major impact on the way theatres and sterile service departments deal with contaminated instruments, while the Department of Health appears to be supporting a more risk-based approach. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

A recent point-of-care testing trial investigated acute chest pain in the emergency environment and assessed its ability to increase effectiveness in clinical and cost terms.

Following a radiological review of total hip replacements in Gloucestershire, over a 15-month period, researchers were able to provide an insight into the quality of surgery, whether national guidelines were being followed, dislocation rates, as well as opportunities to deliver cost savings. STEFANO VERARDI, RACHEL MACKINNON and MICHAEL TREDGETT provide an overview of their findings.

AfPP Annual Congress offered an insight into strategies aimed at recognising and responding to error-prone situations – including the “three buckets model” explained by Dr Jane Carthey. KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS reports.

Seventy per cent of disasters are caused by a failure in communication, yet, in the clinical setting, there is often poor awareness of the role of “human factors” in causing surgical harm. Improvement of non-technical skills in theatre must be made a priority, speakers argued at the AfPP Annual Congress. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The latest analysis of medication incidents by the National Patient Safety Agency shows that some improvements have been achieved, but further lessons must be learned.

The latest analysis of medication incidents by the National Patient Safety Agency shows that some improvements have been achieved, but further lessons must be learned.

How do you persuade a group of consultants to engage with surveillance for surgical site infection when they fear they will be judged? Moreover, how do you translate evidence into practice and inspire others to change?

In the past, concerns have been raised over the safety of drug eluting stents, but a new generation of stents and growing data are now overcoming these fears. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

There is a lack of awareness of the risks involved with suprapubic catheterisation and the consequences of poor technique can be fatal, as new figures show. But could technology provide the answer? The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Massive weight loss body contouring, after bariatric surgery, encounters unique perioperative and wound healing challenges. But some of the greatest challenges ahead include a postcode lottery and a constricting healthcare budget. LOUISE FRAMPTON REPORTS.

Weight loss surgery in the NHS has faced resistance, but is one of the fastest growing specialties – with demand rising year on year. Gastric bypass is even being investigated as a potential treatment for diabetes in non-obese patients. But what are the unique challenges of performing such surgery and how can safety be optimised? LOUISE FRAMPTON reports

MARK EATON and PHIL HIGTON provide an insight into the key factors that can improve theatre performance, quality and safety

Over one third of post-operative deaths are related, in part at least, to surgical site infections. KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS looks at the latest clinical guidelines and recommendations aimed at reducing harm to patients.

Recent studies show cardiac services are improving – along with outcomes following surgery. However, issues remain in relation to rehabilitation services and the UK continues to lag behind other developed countries in terms of access to the main cardiac interventions. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Efforts to reduce rates of MRSA and Clostridium difficile have had a significant impact, but progress has not been reported for all Trusts or for other healthcare-associated infections.

CATHERINE CLEGG reviews the present position on “end of life” care and assisted suicide in light of recent legal developments and proposed guidance

Many patients requiring end of life care experience unnecessary pain and find themselves in hospital when they have no clinical need to be admitted. Front line staff often lack training in delivering basic end of life care, and patients’ wishes, in many cases, are not recorded or respected. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Hospitals are now providing feedback on a range of infection prevention technologies, selected by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency for evaluation. Promising innovations include a system for decontamination, a test device for monitoring the cleanliness of equipment and wards, and a catheter that could help reduce the number of CAUTIs. The Clinical Services Journal reports.