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Showing results for tags 'Medicine - Infectious disease'.
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News ArticleBabies are at risk of dying from common treatable infections because NHS staff on maternity wards are not following national guidance and are short-staffed and overworked, an investigation has revealed. The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB), a national safety watchdog, has warned that NHS staff on maternity wards face sometimes conflicting advice on treating women who are positive for a group B streptococcus (GBS) infection. They are also making errors in women’s care because of the pressure of work and a lack of staff, with antibiotics not being administered when they should be. HSIB’s specialist investigators examined 39 safety incidents in which GSB had been identified, and found that the infection had contributed to six baby deaths, six stillbirths and three cases of babies being left with severe brain damage. In its report, the watchdog warned that the problems on maternity wards meant that even in cases where mothers were known to be positive for GBS infection, this wasn’t shared with the mother or noted in the record, resulting in the standard care and antibiotics not being provided. It added: “The identification and escalation of care for babies who show signs of GBS infection after birth was missed. This has resulted in severe brain injury and death for some of the affected babies.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 19 July 2020
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Content ArticleGroup B streptococcus (GBS) is a naturally occurring bacterium, often found in the mother’s vagina, which can be dangerous for babies during labour and immediately after birth. The mothers carry this bacterium in the birth canal without any problem to themselves. Giving antibiotics to the mother during labour reduces the incidence of GBS infection passing on to the baby (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2012).
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Content ArticleThe perspective of Megha Prasad, a New York cardiologist leading a COVID-19 infections disease service, discusses leadership qualities of being available, communication, adaptability, humility and gratitude as key to effective leadership during challenging times.
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- Infection control
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Content ArticleThis data snapshot from Santoli et al. highlights the results of an examination of two data sets (Jan to April 2019 and Jan to April 2020) to assess the impact of the pandemic on pediatric vaccination in the United States. The authors found significant vaccination declines and highlight the importance of childhood vaccination to prevent future disease outbreaks.
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News Article
National alert as ‘coronavirus-related condition may be emerging in children’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A serious coronavirus-related syndrome may be emerging in the UK, according to an “urgent alert” issued to doctors, following a rise in cases in the last two to three weeks, HSJ has learned. An alert to GPs and seen by HSJ says that in the “last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multisystem inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK”. It adds: “There is a growing concern that a [covid-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases.” Little is known so far about the issue, nor how widespread it has been, but the absolute number of children affected is thought to be very small, according to paediatrics sources. The syndrome has the characteristics of serious COVID-19, but there have otherwise been relatively few cases of serious effects or deaths from coronavirus in children. Some of the children have tested positive for COVID-19, and some appear to have had the virus in the past, but some have not. Read full story Source: HSJ, 27 April 2020 Do you work in paediatrics? Have you seen similar trends emerging? What are your thoughts on the concerns raised? Join the conversation in the hub community area:- Posted
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- Virus
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Content ArticleThe World Health Organization has produced a number of resources, in response to the coronavirus outbreak, to help members of the public know when they should wear a mask and how to put on, use, take off and dispose of a mask.
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- Medicine - Infectious disease
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News ArticleThe number of measles infections around the world could surge in the wake of coronavirus as countries are forced to suspend vaccination programmes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it fears more than 117 million children could miss out on being vaccinated against measles, which killed 140,000 people in 2018. Officials worry that 37 countries where the deadly virus is a major threat could delay immunisation programmes, with 24 countries already suspending their efforts as attention is focused on containing and preventing the spread of COVID-19. Read full story Source: The Independent, 14 April 2020
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Content ArticleHow safe is the laundering of uniforms by staff at home? What can be done to reduce the risk of bacterial survival and contamination? This article was first published in the Nursing Times in 2018 but is relevant to the current coronavirus pandemic.
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COVID-19: guidance for Ambulance Trusts
Claire Cox posted an article in Guidance
This guidance set out by Public Health England is for possible cases of COVID-19 where an emergency ambulance response is required. Content includes: identification of possible cases on-scene clinician precautions personal protective equipment (PPE) patient assessment conveyance and patient handover post conveyance decontamination. -
Content ArticleFollowing the emergence of coronavirus and its spread outside of China, Europe is now experiencing large epidemics. In response, many European countries have implemented unprecedented non-pharmaceutical interventions including case isolation, the closure of schools and universities, banning of mass gatherings and/or public events and most recently, widescale social distancing including local and national lockdowns. In this report, from Imperial College London, authors use a model (semi-mechanistic Bayesian hierarchical) to attempt to understand the impact of these interventions across 11 European countries.
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Content ArticleRespiratory infections can be transmitted through droplets of different sizes: when the droplet particles are >5-10 μm in diameter they are referred to as respiratory droplets and when they are <5μm in diameter they are referred to as droplet nuclei. According to current evidence, COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets and contact routes. In an analysis of 75,465 COVID-19 cases in China, airborne transmission was not reported.
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Content ArticleThis pneumonic is for quick diagnosis / risk assess for coronavirus developed by doctors in Italy.
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Content ArticlePeople with a learning disability have higher rates of morbidity and mortality than the general population and die prematurely. At least 41% of them die from respiratory conditions. They have a higher prevalence of asthma and diabetes, and of being obese or underweight in people. All these factors make them more vulnerable to coronavirus. There is evidence that people with autism also have higher rates of health problems throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and that this may result in elevated risk of early mortality. This guide, from NHS England, states the following key points should be addressed when assessing and treating a patient with a learning disability or with autism who is suspected of having or is known to have coronavirus: Be aware of diagnostic overshadowing Pay attention to healthcare passports Listen to parents/carers Make reasonable adjustments Understanding behavioural responses to illness/pain/discomfort Mental Capacity Act Ask for specialist support and advice if necessary Mental wellbeing and emotional distress. Please download the full guide for further detail.
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- Autism
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Content Article
NHS: Specialty guides for patient management
Claire Cox posted an article in Guidance
Speciality guides for patient management during the coronavirus pandemic.- Posted
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- High risk groups
- Organisational Performance
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Content ArticleAre you a patient with an issue not related to the coronavirus, and yet facing new challenges because of it? Understandably the healthcare system is currently focusing its attention on the deadly effects of the coronavirus, so the need to pay attention to patient safety is now more important than ever. We’re asking for patients, carers, family members and friends to share their stories, highlight weaknesses or safety issues that need to be addressed and share solutions that are working.
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Content ArticleThis document should be used to guide clinicians on the appropriate use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), non-invasive ventilation (NIV), here referring to bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) and high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO, such as OptiflowTM) in patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Published evidence, clinical guidelines and personal communications with colleagues in China and Italy have informed this document. The guidance is not designed to be prescriptive but to provide a useful aid to use alongside clinical judgement. It can be adjusted to suit individual clinical environments. Decisions relating to the escalation of ventilatory support (whether as a trial of treatment, as a ceiling of care, or as a possible bridge to ongoing invasive ventilation) need to be made early and by experienced clinical decision-makers.
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- Ventilators
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Content Article
‘Think SIM’ for your COVID-19 preparations
Claire Cox posted an article in Guidance
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a widespread response across the NHS in terms of how staff and the departments and organisations in which they work can help to manage the challenges being faced now and in the coming weeks and months. This includes the need to learn new skills and procedures at short notice, to rehearse the management of complex and potentially hazardous clinical cases in unfamiliar environments, and to be assured that any systems, policies and protocols that are put into action are designed to promote safe, effective care and support staff well-being. There is an important role for simulation as a technique or intervention in this set of unique circumstances, which will be implemented more effectively if integrated and aligned with the many other initiatives aimed at supporting staff and the NHS as a whole.- Posted
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Content ArticleThis guidance is for people, including children, who are at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) because of an underlying health condition, and for their family, friends and carers. It is intended for use in situations where the extremely vulnerable person is living in their own home, with or without additional support. This includes the extremely clinically vulnerable people living in long-term care facilities, either for the elderly or persons with special needs. Shielding is a measure to protect people who are clinically extremely vulnerable by minimising all interaction between those who are extremely vulnerable and others. We are strongly advising people with serious underlying health conditions (listed below) which put them at very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to rigorously follow shielding measures in order to keep themselves safe.
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- Older People (over 65)
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NICE publishes first rapid COVID-19 guidelines
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Guidance
NICE has published its first three rapid guidelines on the care of people with suspected and confirmed COVID-19, and in patients without COVID-19. These guidelines have been developed to maximise patient safety whilst making the best use of NHS resources and protecting staff from infection. The guideline has been developed using the interim process and methods for developing rapid guidelines on COVID-19 and recommendations are based on evidence and expert opinion. COVID-19 rapid guideline: critical care COVID-19 rapid guideline: delivery of systemic anticancer treatments COVID-19 rapid guideline: dialysis service delivery.- Posted
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News Article
Coronavirus: Doctors urge conversations about dying
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Palliative care doctors are urging people to have a conversation about what they would want if they, or their loved ones, became seriously unwell with coronavirus. We should discuss all possible scenarios - even those we are not "comfortable to talk about", they said. Medics said the virus underlined the importance of these conversations. New guidelines are being produced for palliative care for Covid-19 patients, the BBC understands. Read full story Source: BBC News, 21 March 2020- Posted
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Coronavirus: My disabled son is on his own without any help
Anonymous posted an article in Blogs
I'd like to share what I am currently living through during the coronavirus with my 25-year-old son who has significant cerebral palsy due to kernicterus and is speech, hearing and motor impaired- Posted
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- Medicine - Infectious disease
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"The tsunami is coming and we’re all terrified"
Anonymous posted an article in Blogs
I am a nurse providing specialist support to seriously ill patients at a large acute Trust in England. Today I have been working with patients who have COVID-19. I am angry and scared.- Posted
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- Medicine - Infectious disease
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Content ArticleA powerful essay from Dr Joshua Lerner, an Emergency Room (ER) doctor who currently works at the Leominster campus of UMass Memorial Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital in the US...
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- Medicine - Infectious disease
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COVID-19: advice for staff (updated 18 March 2020)
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Guidance
Please note, this is an evolving situation and the advice changes based on the latest published Public Health England guidance.- Posted
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- Staff safety
- Medicine - Infectious disease
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Content ArticleThis article, published by The Lancet, is written by Dale fisher, Chair of the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and Annelies Wilder-Smith, co-Chair of the Lancet Infectious Diseases Commission on Preparedness for Emerging Epidemic Threats. They highlight the urgent public health action required in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
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- Public health
- Medicine - Infectious disease
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