FEATURE ARTICLES

Theatre floors and drapes soaked with blood are still a common sight, but is this an inevitable consequence of surgery or an unacceptable infection risk for patients and staff? LOUISE FRAMPTON talks to John Hardy, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Spire Healthcare, about a possible solution to assist a wider strategy for the prevention of infection.

The use of electrical stimulation to “kick start” the body’s natural healing processes is becoming more widely accepted in wound care practice. LOUISE FRAMPTON examines the latest development in the management of chronic ulcers.

Blood transfusion management in the NHS still requires more tightening, and further consideration must be given to blood conservation methods such as perioperative cell salvage. NICHOLAS MARSHALL reports.

Failure to respond to repeated requests for more nursing staff, “sloppy hygiene” practices among healthcare professionals too time-pressured to wash their hands between patients, and “dirty, overcrowded” wards, were among the major contributors to the 90 deaths from C. difficile at three large West Kent hospitals, a recent BBC 1 “Panorama” programme suggested. JONATHAN BAILLIE reports.

The 11th annual PET meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine examined the role of PET/CT in oncology – covering issues such as the management of paediatric patients, applications within mesothelioma treatment, as well as the impact of new trials on lymphoma. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Clinicians, infection control experts and microbiologists presented the latest evidence on prevention of surgical site infections at a recent conference in Birmingham. Issues tackled included: surveillance, pre-operative preparation, maintaining normothermia, and solutions such as anti-microbial sutures. The conference was hosted by Ethicon – a division of Johnson & Johnson. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS, technical editor of The Clinical Services Journal, reviews significant items of healthcare sector news.

Pascal Mallefet MD – Novartis Healthcare, UK Anthony C. Dweck FLS FRSC FRSH – Technical Editor

Wounds and skin damage are subjects of great importance to both the dermal pharmaceutical and skin care products industries – the two sectors, of course, focus on different levels of damage.

A wound occurs when the integrity of any tissue is compromised (e.g. skin breaks, muscle tears, burns are suffered, or a bone fractures). A wound may be caused as a result of a fall, a surgical procedure, an infectious disease, or an underlying condition.

A conference held by the European Oncology Nursing Society, in Geneva, Switzerland, has highlighted failures in the control of pain and identified scope for improvement in the management of side effects for cancer patients. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Paediatric cardiac services came under fire at the time of the “Bristol inquiry”, but have the wider issues faced by the NHS now been solved? The Children’s Heart Federation recently warned that serious problems continue to threaten the long-term sustainability of the specialty. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Laryngeal mask airways have grown in popularity since their introduction 20 years ago. Now, a new ventilation technique has been reviewed by Dr Martin Wolfe, a consultant anaesthetist in Guernsey, who talks to LOUISE FRAMPTON about his observations.

COLIN PYNE, from CNP Medical, provides advice on the purchase and maintenance of video cameras used in minimal access surgery, as well as the legal considerations when taking pictures of procedures.

The European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) is urging the adoption of new guidelines across Europe to improve safety for patients receiving chemotherapy. A call for action was issued to an audience of oncology nurses at a recent conference in Switzerland. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The changes facing the NHS are ever increasing – from service redesign, new ways of working and the 18-week target, to the Working Time Directive, patient choice and care closer to home. JACKIE YOUNGER discusses how this organisational development should be managed.

The Healthcare Commission says that serious system failures, including patient identification, are leading to unnecessary exposure to ionising radiation. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Immobile patients who are being left to sit for up to 18 hours face an increased risk of pressure ulcers as a result. New guidelines are under development to improve current practice. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

A survey of NHS staff reveals that while there is much to celebrate, including high levels of job satisfaction, serious concerns remain which must be addressed. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

A report has recommended that commercial CT scanning services should no longer offer full body scanning of asymptomatic individuals and that regulation of such services is urgently required. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Ongoing technology advances mean that robotics will increasingly be used in operating theatres and diagnostic units, a London conference was told. NICHOLAS MARSHALL reports.

From a “check up at the check out” at Sainsbury’s, to sponsorship of hospital wards by large corporations, the commercial sector is creeping further and further into the NHS. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.