Biomedical subjects

Chris Wright

Publications and source records attributed to Chris Wright.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2002

General practice. In for the skill.

Faced with the retirement of many of its practice nurses, a primary care trust undertook a review and decided to employ healthcare assistants in general practice. HCAs undertake tasks previously performed by practice nurses. Training is provided over 12 months. All practices in the PCT provide nurse appointments and 59 per cent of them can offer an appointment within 24 hours. More than a quarter of practices in the PCT are now interested in taking part in the scheme.

Appointments and Schedules↗

PubMed2002

Cross sectional survey of parents' experience and views of the postmortem examination.

OBJECTIVE: To describe parents' experience and views of the postmortem examination after the loss of a baby. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey. SETTING: Hospital with a dedicated bereavement counselling service, Newcastle upon Tyne. PARTICIPANTS: 258 women who had attended a bereavement counselling service at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, on at least one occasion after losing a baby during pregnancy or infancy, between October 1996 and October 2000. METHOD: Self completion postal questionnaire incorporating fixed choice and open ended questions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of respondents who were asked if they would agree to a postmortem examination of their baby, and number who agreed to a postmortem examination; reasons for agreeing and not agreeing to a postmortem examination; quality of explanation received; number who regretted their decision to give or withhold consent for a postmortem examination. RESULTS: 166 (64%) respondents completed the questionnaire. Of these, 148 (89%) had been asked to agree to a postmortem examination on their baby and 120/148 of these respondents (81%) agreed, most of whom recognised benefits resulting from the examination. 101/117 (86%) respondents believed the findings had been explained appropriately. Nine (7%) of the 120 respondents who had agreed to a postmortem examination regretted their decision. Of the respondents who refused an examination, four (14%) had regrets about their decision. DISCUSSION: Parents viewed the postmortem examination as a useful and necessary tool in helping to discover the reasons why their baby had died. Simplifying the language used to explain findings may further raise parents' understanding of the value of the postmortem examination and ensure that they are satisfied with it. Medical staff involved in consent for postmortem examinations should be fully trained in how to ask for parental consent, the postmortem examination procedure, and how to explain the findings.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

The incidence and characteristics of neonatal irreversible lung dysplasia.

A 3-year retrospective study of 173 neonates treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the United Kingdom identified 9 cases of irreversible lung dysplasia, including alveolar capillary dysplasia (n = 5), surfactant protein B deficiency (n = 1), pulmonary hypoplasia (n = 1), pulmonary lymphangiectasis (n = 1), and combined lymphangiectasis and hypoplasia (n = 1).

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗

PubMed2002

A multiple pregnancy register in the north of England.

A regional population-based Multiple Pregnancy Register was established in 1998, with the aim of collecting detailed information on multiple pregnancies to enable research into mortality and morbidity in multiples. Multiple pregnancies are notified to the Register as soon as they are detected, irrespective of whether they resulted in a spontaneous abortion, termination of pregnancy or registered birth. Nine hundred and twenty-six twin pregnancies were recorded during 1998-99, giving a twinning rate of 14.8 per 1000 maternities (rate at birth 13.0 per 1000 maternities). Sixty one per cent of twin pregnancies were detected before 13 weeks of gestation. Chorionicity was determined in 82.6% of 849 twin maternities with at least one stillbirth or livebirth. The fetal loss rate before 24 weeks of gestation was 10.5% (194/1852). The perinatal and infant mortality rates were 40.6 per 1000 births and 32.6 per 1000 livebirths respectively. A prospective Multiple Pregnancy Register not only allows monitoring of trends in multiple birth rates and mortality, but also etiological research and long-term follow-up studies.

Abortion, Induced↗

PubMed2002

A team approach in palliative care: enhancing outcomes.

While most Americans envision a "good death" as one occurring quickly and painlessly at home surrounded by loved ones, many people do not die in this fashion. Palliative care focuses on holistic treatment of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment, and strives to improve quality of life for patients and families at end-of-life (EOL). This hospital-based study examines the extent to which a palliative care consultant team makes a difference in EOL for patients and families. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 50 hospitalized patients referred to an interdisciplinary palliative care consulting team at a South Dakota tertiary hospital during 2001. Various palliative care interventions were introduced during the course of hospitalization, and data were collected two days later to see if quality of life had improved. Statistically significant improvements were found in pain levels, non-pain symptom management, numerous psychosocial measures of quality of life, change in code status, and perceptions of communication and treatment during hospitalization. The study demonstrates that consultations with a palliative care team are beneficial and enhance the EOL experience for patients and families.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Self-management approaches for people with chronic conditions: a review.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of self-management approaches for people with chronic conditions. The literature reviewed was assessed in terms of the nature of the self-management approach and the effectiveness. Findings are discussed under the headings of: chronic conditions targeted, country where intervention was based, type of approach (e.g. format, content, tutor, setting), outcomes and effectiveness. The last of these focused on reports of randomised controlled studies.

Chronic Disease↗