WUTH publication: Ebola virus disease in Africa: epidemiology and nosocomial transmission

Citation: The Journal of Hospital Infection. 2015, 90(1), 1-9
Author: Shears P, O'Dempsey TJ
Abstract: The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, primarily affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, has exceeded all previous Ebola outbreaks in the number of cases and in international response. There have been 20 significant outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Sub-Saharan Africa prior to the 2014 outbreak, the largest being that in Uganda in 2000, with 425 cases and a mortality of 53%. Since the first outbreaks in Sudan and Zaire in 1976, transmission within health facilities has been of major concern, affecting healthcare workers and acting as amplifiers of spread into the community. The lack of resources for infection control and personal protective equipment are the main reasons for nosocomial transmission. Local strategies to improve infection control, and a greater understanding of local community views on the disease, have helped to bring outbreaks under control. Recommendations from previous outbreaks include improved disease surveillance to enable more rapid health responses, the wider availability of personal protective equipment, and greater international preparedness.

Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS:

Africa; Ebola virus disease; Healthcare workers; Nosocomial transmission

Link to PubMed record.

WUTH publication: Protection of soft tissue and avoidance of inadvertent neurovascular injury in repair of the distal biceps

Citation: Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 2016, 98(2), 157-8
Author: Yakob H, Bhalaik V

Link to PubMed record

Reflective Writing for Nurse and Midwife Revalidation

Are you one of the first 100 Nurses or Midwives to be required to revalidate? or Have you made it your New Year’s Resolution to get yourself "Revalidation Ready"

Your Library & Knowledge Service staff have designed a 60 minute Reflective Writing for Nurse and Midwife Revalidation session which will help you to:

ü  Have an understanding of reflection and reflective writing and their benefits

ü  Have an awareness of appropriate tools to support reflective writing

ü  Feel more confident in beginning to produce reflective accounts for your portfolio and have considered sources of potential evidence

ü  Be aware of the ways that the Library & Knowledge Service can support you to successfully revalidate

We can deliver these sessions at a time and place to suit your needs. If your colleagues/team want a session especially for them please contact mcardle.library@nhs.net

The next scheduled sessions for this course will be:

Trust	Date & Time	Location
Wirral University Teaching Hospital	15/1/16 (Friday) 12.30-1.30	IT Suite, McArdle Library, Education Centre, Arrowe Park Hospital
Clatterbridge Cancer Centre	21/1/16 (Thursday) 1.00-2.00	Clinical Education, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Wirral University Teaching Hospital	27/1/16 (Wednesday) 12.00-1.00	IT Suite, McArdle Library, Education Centre, Arrowe Park Hospital
Wirral University Teaching Hospital	28/1/16 (Thursday) 1.00-2.00	IT Suite, McArdle Library, Education Centre, Arrowe Park Hospital

To book on one of these sessions please email: mcardle.library@nhs.net

Do you work for Wirral Community Trust?

Don’t forget that your Library & Knowledge Service can support you wherever you are working.

We offer:

ü  First Steps in Searching and Finding the Evidence sessions for individuals or groups

o   1 hour sessions

ü  Reflective Writing sessions for individuals or groups to support Nurse revalidation

o   1 hour session

ü  Training in Critical Appraisal skills so you can develop the skills to assess how robust and reliable original research is using appropriate tools

o   90 minute session

ü  Conduct Information searches with you on your chosen subjects

ü  Provide Print & electronic evidence resources to help you keep up-to-date

ü  Obtain journal articles & books for you

ü  Provide an Evidence Alerts service which alerts you to new innovations, improvements, best practice, news and evidence in your chosen areas of interest

ü  Support Journal Club activity which enables groups to present and critique relevant original research

ü  Offer 24 hour access to the library and its facilities, study space, computers and printers

We will come to you to provide support at a time and place that is convenient for you.

To find out more, request support or training please email mcardle.library@nhs.net or visit our website: http://www.wuth.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/services/l/library/

WUTH publication: Improving the handover and care of acute urological admissions

Citation: BMJ Quality Improvement Reports. 2015, 4(1)
Author: Bass E, Patel S
Abstract: The point at which a patient is most vulnerable during their journey through the hospital as an acute or emergency admission is the point at which they are transferred to the designated oncoming responsible team. Unsurprisingly, inadequate and incomplete clinical handovers have the potential for latter catastrophic consequences and are utterly avoidable. Recognising these facts, good clinical handover is an essential part of clinical governance and patient safety. Perhaps secondarily, clinical handover - especially when conducted with senior surgical personnel - can be a valuable learning tool for the surgical trainee. An complete audit loop was performed to assess the rate of handover and urology registrar involvement in acute urology periods in 2 month long periods as well as the rate of inadequate investigations and treatment. The interventions introduced included foundation doctor induction training in acute urology cases, an explanation of the importance of handover and a reflective look at ourselves and our approachability. As a result there were significant improvements in the rate of early registrar involvement and successful handover for patients admitted under our take. 

Link to PubMed record

WUTH publication: Treatment of tachycardia: bradycardia syndrome in a patient with obstructive sleep apnoea

Citation: BMJ Case Reports. 2015 April
Author: Lagan J, Saravanan P
Abstract: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSAS) affects 4% of men and 2% of women aged 30-65 years. It is diagnosed in the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness and an apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of ≥5 on polysomnography. Rhythm disturbances are common in OSAS and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been shown to be beneficial. We present a case of a patient with obesity, atrial fibrillation with fast ventricular response, significant nocturnal pauses (3.9 s) and tachycardiomyopathy. A polysomnography confirmed severe OSAS (AHI=64.25). CPAP improved bradycardia and allowed for the introduction of β-blockers. Subsequent Holter monitoring revealed better rate control with the longest pause of 2 s and the patient's left ventricular systolic function improved. CPAP prevented our patient from invasive treatment, allowed for rate control and improvement of tachycardiomyopathy. With such a high prevalence of OSAS, clinicians should be aware that CPAP may aid arrhythmia control.

Link to PubMed record

WUTH publication: A UK wide survey on attitudes to point of care ultrasound training amongst clinicians working on the Acute Medical Unit

Citation: Acute Medicine. 2015, 14(4), 159-164
Author: Smallwood N, Matsa R, Lawrenson P, Messenger J, Walden A
Abstract: The use of point of care ultrasound (POCU) is increasing across a number of specialties, becoming mandatory within some specialist training programmes (for example respiratory and emergency medicine). Despite this, there are few data looking at the prevalence of use or the training clinicians have undertaken; this survey sought to address this. It shows that the majority of POCU undertaken on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) is without formal accreditation, with significant arriers to training highlighted including a lack of supervision, time and equipment. For those who undertook POCU, it was shown to regularly speed up clinical decision making, while 76.3% respondents believed a lack of access to POCU out of hours may affect patient safety. The data provide support to the concept of developing AMU specific POCU accreditation, to ensure robust and safe use of this modality on the AMU.

Link to PubMed record