Assessment of the Reported Effectiveness of Five Different Quality-Improvement Initiatives for the Prevention of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Intensive Care Units

Lawrence F Muscarella, Guest Contributor to UK Health Radio, writes:

Five studies that evaluated five different quality-improvement initiatives for the prevention of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in adult, paediatric and/or neonatal intensive care units (ICUs) and that were published within the past two years in an infection-control and epidemiology journal were reviewed, assessed and compared.

Each is a prospective cohort study that similarly concludes that the evaluated initiative was responsible for a significant and calculated reduction in the CLABSI rate, ranging from 30.3% to 85%. The soundness of these conclusions and calculations, however, like the legitimacy of several other common uses of CLABSI data, requires, in addition to satisfying a number of other criteria, that each study’s CLABSI rates be accurate and complete.

The primary goal of this analysis, therefore, was to confirm the hypothesis that each of these five studies had validated its CLABSI rates. The analysis found, however, that these five studies did not validate the accuracy and completeness of their CLABSI rates, which raises reasonable questions about each study’s assessment of and conclusions about the initiative’s effectiveness for the prevention of CLABSIs.

In addition to their aims, calculations, and conclusions, these five studies share in common a number of features, as well as circumscribing qualities, which are discussed.

The distinction between a qualitative assessment and a quantitative determination of an initiative’s performance is also discussed.

Both the circumspective use of CLABSI data that have not been validated and the cautious interpretation of conclusions about central-line care that are based on these CLABSI data are recommended.

For the full article, please visit: http://www.myendosite.com/articles/OEJ2012.pdf

 

© 2012 Lawrence F Muscarella. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog is provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. This information is not in any way a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment, so please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on the UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Medical errors, infection-control breaches and the use of adulterated and misbranded medical devices

 

Lawrence F Muscarella, Guest Contributor to UK Health Radio, writes:

 

Several well-publicised cases of improper cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation of contaminated reusable medical equipment that posed an increased risk of patient-to-patient disease transmission were reported within the past few years, resulting in the notification of approximately 20 000 patients.

 

These medical errors, the specific infection-control standards they breached, and assessments of the risk of infection associated with each are discussed. Other topics discussed include the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation of medical devices and infection-control products; the use of adulterated, misbranded, and investigational devices; consent decrees and associated Certificates of Medical Necessity; and informed patient consent.

 

Focus is placed on liquid chemical sterilization, its history, and the FDA’s recent censure and discontinuation of a medical device labelled with this claim, namely, the STERIS System 1 processor.

 

Recommendations are provided for healthcare facilities, regulatory agencies, manufacturers of reusable medical devices, and professional healthcare organisations and administrations to improve public health and prevent healthcare associated infections.

 

For the full article, please visit: http://www.myendosite.com/articles/WJCID2012.pdf

 

© 2012 Baishideng. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog is provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge. This information is not in any way a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment, so please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on the UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

 

Has UK education gone mad?

John Hicks, presenter of the UK Health Radio 'Health Kicks' show which also airs on some other radio stations across Europe, touches on an interesting topic in this week's show.

Being of a 'certain age', John fondly remembers his days at the then Taunton Technical College (now SCAT - Somerset College of Arts and Technology) on a full-time course, Monday to Friday 9am to 3.30pm.

So, when his 16-year-old daughter attended her College last week for her induction and received her timetable for her full-time creative media course - with lessons on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning only - he was dumbfounded!

John says "if the definition of full-time education means two and a half days, then education has gone completely mad. A whole generation is being short-changed and our nation's workforce are being ill-equipped for playing their role in rebuilding our economy destroyed by bankers and politicians!".

Is he right? What do you think? Please share your thoughts and expertise - email john@health-hicks.co.uk




Listen to John's show (www.health-kicks.co.uk) on UK Health Radio, the health radio station for the UK, Europe and beyond, at www.ukhealthradio.com

HOPE

Last week I went to the opening of the Paralympics in London.   I felt very privileged to be at this once in a life time event and I was awed by the bravery and the enterprise of the people of so many nations who, despite often devastating disability, had managed to rise to such an exalted level of sporting achievement.

That made me think about people who cope with illness and disability in whatever way they can to make the most of their lives. 

One such person that I met recently has started a website for brain tumour survivors www.aunty-m-brain-tumours.co.uk 

She did this after she herself had a brain tumour removed while she was in her early twenties.   For an active and attractive girl with the world at her feet this was a devastating blow.  And once the drama of the surgery was over and people who had been holding their breath for her had exhaled, she was left to cope with seizures, blinding headaches, crippling tiredness, mood swings and impaired vision that dogged her daily life.

When she should have been riding high with a promising career ahead of her she was, instead, afraid to go out in case she had a seizure.  She tried to work but just could not keep up with the pace.  She longed to drive again but after months of waiting her hopes were finally dashed, for good. Frustration almost overwhelmed her. But this was a girl who was going to fight back!  She looked around for support and found loads of facts and figures and articles about brain tumours.  The information and support she wanted, was hard to come by.   She envisioned a place where fellow suffers could meet for a moan or a laugh and a joke, where the emphasis was more on recovery than on dealing with the mechanics, diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours.  So she decided to make a site herself.  And so aunty M (that stands for meningioma) was born.   She is about to publish her autobiography and you can see details of that and a lot of other useful and inspiring information on the aunty M site.

As the huge sporting fest that we have enjoyed this summer through first the Olympic games and now the Paralympics, I think that the impact on all of us will be long lasting.   For those parents with disabled children, the Paralympics presents a new and perhaps unexpected avenue for their child to explore.  For those of us unfortunate enough to be disabled through accident or illness, there is the inspiration from those athletes many from countries much less developed than ours, who have managed to excel despite their disabilities.   And to all of us, able bodied and disabled, there is that very important word on which the world turns – hope.   

You can see the website address for aunty M on the blog on UK radio.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog is provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge.  This information is not in any way a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment, so please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on the UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas

Cruise offers couples groundbreaking workshop and whole lot more

 

 

Mexican cruise gives chance to understand, repair and strengthen relationships

with groundbreaking, highly effective programme

 

Couples always feel they need a getaway -- somewhere romantic, relaxing and rejuvenating with time to rekindle and reconnect. The reality, however, is that they go home to the same problems and conflicts. Getting away from relationship issues is not the same as learning concrete tools to be able to deal with them.

 

Relationship experts have teamed with Princess Cruises to offer the Hold Me Tight Couples Workshop aboard the Sapphire Princess.

 

The Hold Me Tight Relationship Enhancement Program is based on the best-selling book Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson, founder of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). The groundbreaking program successfully helps couples create stronger, more secure relationships.

 

The 7-day family friendly cruise to Mexico gives couples the chance to reconnect and work on their relationship while enjoying all the fun of a great cruise. Fun and engaging children’s programs keep the kids happy while parents can focus on their relationship. There is plenty of family time as well.

 

The cruise departs from Los Angeles on March 23, 2013, and stops include Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas.

 

The couples’ workshop will be led by clinical psychologists Lisa Blum and Silvina Irwin who run the EFT Resource Center, a source for information, events and workshops for couples in the greater Los Angeles area.

 

Participants in the workshop experience the power of the workshop to fundamentally change the way they interact with each other. As one couple said, “I felt like it helped me and my partner understand what was happening between us in rough moments and give us a map for how to find out way out…It is so nice to have such a clear model of how to communicate. We are truly grateful."

 

“Combining this workshop with a luxurious cruise is the ultimate way to reconnect with your partner in an intentional way. We offer couples a map to help enhance and deepen their bond, and to help heal injuries and rebuild trust. The benefits of this workshop will stay long after the cruise is over. This sets it apart from the usual vacation where the connection gained while away can fade once couples plug back into the routine of their lives at home.”

 

More information: http://www.eftresourcecenter.com/HoldMeTightProgram.html

Ever Heard of ADF?

Ever heard of ADF?

Amanda Thomas for UK Health Radio

The other day I saw a documentary on TV featuring a doctor who was looking into longevity.  I was only half watching it when suddenly something caught my attention.  The doctor was being shown a couple of quite cute looking mice.  Mother and baby I assumed, judging by their size.   No, the serious looking scientist in charge of the rodents explained.   The little mouse had simply made better food choices; or rather had them made for him, and had eaten less than his bigger brother.   The expectation was that the small one would live one third longer than the large one.

The programme went on to look at the latest thinking on eating less and living longer. It explained the benefits of fasting and the different ways of doing it. The benefits of fasting do not only include weight loss, but also supply a further benefit of restricting our production of growth factor (IGF1).  This is where it got really interesting.   It seems that fasting triggers the body to begin to repair cells instead of rapidly replacing them, as is the case when HGF1 is in control. I like things that have a scientific argument to back them up that I can relate to.  I can see the advantage of cells being repaired rather than added to. There will be less to go wrong in the decay/development process.

Done properly, fasting can help prevent many of the diseases of middle and old age, including the development of type two diabetes, dementia, heart disease and strokes. I was very impressed by the evidence presented by this programme.  There were three main options although I am sure that this is something that could be tailored to fit lifestyle.  First there was a three day fast.  Nothing except black tea, water and a low calorie soup here and there.   This, I quickly decided, in the interest of my sanity and everyone else’s, would not be for me.   The second method was ADF (Alternate day fasting) This appealed to me more as it involved eating whatever you wanted on the day you were not fasting and then sticking to 400 - 500 calories for women and 500 - 600 for men on fast days.   There is also the 5/2 fasting regime. This is 5 days normal eating and 2 days of restricted calories in the same amounts as with the ADF.

I have started the ADF myself and although with a busy social life it may not always be easy to stick to the ADF timetable, I will not be too rigid over it, just make sure that I get in the fast days where I can.   And being able to eat what you want the next day has not had the effect you might think it would.  I thought that I might be so hungry I would scoff everything in sight.  But no, in fact although I had good meals I did not overeat and I think the fasting also makes you eat less.  So I will see how it all works out and let you know.  If you think you might like to try this, don’t forget to check with your doctor first.

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and does not substitute professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on the UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Olympic Inspiration

With the London Olympic Games hailed a success it seems that people all over the UK are gaining an interest in sports that they have barely heard of before! And I, previously sports sceptic, am one of them.  The superb performances by sports men and women honed to the peak of physical perfection have encouraging many.  With the Paralympics following hot on the heels of the Olympics there is no doubt that the inspiration that the games has provided in spades is going to be increased as we marvel at the determination and achievements of the para- Olympians.  

There have been many stories of inspiration and of how sport has changed lives .I have been humbled by the punishing training schedules that these elite athletes have to subject themselves to  - hardly surprising when my idea of a training schedule is probably taking the dog on a whistle stop lamppost tour of the immediate neighbourhood.   And I have to admit that I, who never imagined I would give a fig, gasped in horror when, after all that work, Victoria Pendleton and Jessica Varnish were disqualified from the women’s team sprint race on a day of high drama for Team GB in the Olympic velodrome. In contrast, the pure ecstasy on the faces of the medal winners as tears flowed freely down their faces is something we will surely ever forget, and yes I did shed the odd tear too.  

So if this magnificent display of physical endeavour has inspired you, if you know you are in a rut, and that you don’t do enough exercise or you just want to be more active, where do you start?  Come to that where do I start?  Should I buy gym membership? Trot out to the local pool before work?  Take to walking the dog further than just down to the pub and back?  Well all of these would be a good start but the secret is, I believe, not to be too ambitious.  Rushing out to buy a javelin might seem like a good idea but you are going to get some very funny looks in the park!  

There is no doubt that regular exercise is important for our health.  It is recommended that to maintain good health, adults need to do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise and youngsters need to do about 60 minute a day. 

I work from home but if I did go to an office I might think of getting off the bus or tube a few stops early to walk the rest of the way.  Maybe leave enough time to ditch the car altogether and make journeys to local shops and even all the way to work, entirely on foot or on a bicycle.  It wont be long till you feel the physical benefit. 

The NHS have a very useful section on their website to help you find the sport or activity that is right for you. Take a look at their interactive tool for matching your ability and interest to a specific sport at:

 http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/olympics-sport 

So long after the last athlete has gone home, lets hope that the inspiration of the 2012 Olympics will continue and leave a legacy that will see us all improving our fitness and our health!  Oh, and I'll be the one plodding determinedly around a park near you.  But next year, well - just watch this space!

Please note that all information and content on UK Health Radio and this blog are provided by the authors, producers and companies themselves and is only intended as additional information to your general knowledge and does not substitute professional medical advice or treatment. So please do not delay or disregard any medical advice received due to information gathered on the UK Health Radio.

UK Health Radio – the health radio station for the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond at www.ukhealthradio.com – is kindly sponsored by www.1-stop-health-shop.com

Amanda Thomas