Biomedical subjects

M Hammond

Publications and source records attributed to M Hammond.

94 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Empyema necessitatis: review of the manifestations of thoracic actinomycosis.

Actinomycosis is a relatively uncommon infectious process involving the chest. A case of thoracic actinomycosis mimicking an inflammatory breast carcinoma in an elderly woman is presented with a review of the literature. The authors suggest that considering this disease in the differential diagnosis of indolent pulmonary parenchymal and pleural lesions is essential if appropriate diagnostic tests are to be obtained and proper therapy initiated, thus avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.

Actinomycosis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in bedrail prevalence during a bedrails-reduction initiative.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of bedrails and observe whether use of bedrails can be decreased during a bedrails-reduction initiative. DESIGN: A serial, cross-sectional, observational study of bedrail use. PATIENTS AND SETTING: An 816-bed not-for-profit nursing facility with academic affiliation and closed medical staff. Median age of residents was 88.1 (range 62-108); 74% were women and 26% were men. MEASUREMENTS: Observed use of bedrails with classification of bedrail configurations into Enclosure Levels based on percentage of bedsides enclosed; serial census of bedrail use during a restraint-reduction effort. RESULTS: Bedrail configurations fell into five Enclosure Levels based on percentage of the bed enclosed. Over 9 months, total bedrail prevalence increased from 50 to 56%; however, the highest Enclosure Levels decreased from 7.7 to 3.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Bedrail configurations can be placed on a continuum of enclosure, and highest Enclosure Levels can be decreased during a bedrails-reduction program.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The treatment of children with shunt infections: extraventricular drainage system care.

The history of shunt placement in children with hydrocephalus spans several decades. The current use of ventriculoperitoneal shunting has provided the most successful form of treatment. Infections, however, continue to be a major problem in as many as 30% of these patients. The use of extraventricular drainage systems (EVD) in conjunction with antibiotic therapy has proven safe and effective in managing children with shunt infections and offers many advantages compared to other forms of treatment used in the past.

Bacterial Infections↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Retention of neonatal resuscitation skills and knowledge: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study compared the effectiveness of two booster strategies designed to improve retention of skills and knowledge in neonatal resuscitation by family practice residents. METHODS: Residents were randomly allocated to one of three groups: video, hands on, or control. Residents in the two experimental groups received a "booster" 3-5 months after the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) course. All participants completed the follow-up test 6-8 months after taking the course. The main outcome measures consisted of the NRP written examination and the performance checklists. RESULTS: A total of 44 residents completed the study (video, n = 13; hands-on, n = 14; control, n = 17). Overall, participants had significantly lower scores at follow-up than at baseline, indicating deterioration in both neonatal skills and knowledge. Residents in the hands-on booster group made significantly fewer errors across all five checklists in life-supporting but not in lifesaving scores than those allocated to the control and video groups. CONCLUSIONS: The beneficial effect of mannequin practice or video boosters on skills and knowledge retention was less than what had been anticipated, and no benefit could be demonstrated in comparison to the control group. Deteriorating knowledge and skills remain a major concern, since boostering by hands-on or video at 3-5 months do not seem to have an impact on the retention of knowledge or lifesaving skills.

Adult↗