Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Jason Beckford-Ball.
Antibiotics have had a major impact on health care since the discovery of penicillin. However, the prescribing of antibiotics remains a common practice dilemma. How should the appropriate prescription of antibiotics continue while ensuring that growth of microbial resistance to infectious diseases is kept to a minimum?
The current outbreak of avian influenza in South East Asia has resulted in a small number of human deaths. Avian flu can pass from birds to humans, although the number of humans infected is low. The fear is that the avian flu virus could mutate in a human who was also infected with a common flu virus, creating a new strain that could pass from human to human. Nurses, especially those working in travel health, should keep themselves informed of the latest developments.
New guidelines for the management of hypertension have just been published. These guidelines are relevant for many nurses but especially for those in primary care, who are often involved in the management of people with hypertension and its complications.
Recently the public's attention has been focused on the issue of hospital-acquired infections. The latest Audit Commission report (National Audit Office, 2004) reveals an increase in MRSA cases from 7,250 in 2001-2002 to 7,647 in 2003-2004. This has resulted in new action plans for prevention and control of infection.
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Skin cancers are the most common group of cancers affecting the U.K. population and their incidence is rising steadily. Draft guidance from NICE outlines initiatives that are needed to tackle the problem, including new developments in the provision of nursing care.
It has been known for some time that the latex contained in some medical equipment, such as gloves, can result in an allergic reaction. A new report from the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) looks into the response from NHS organisations to the threat from latex allergies and whether adequate measures have been taken to protect health care staff and patients.
There are anomalies in the UK cancer service, such as varying mortality rates in different parts of the country. New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) seeks to clarify best practice for referring patients with suspected cancer to specialist services. This article looks at the practice implications of this guidance for nurses.
The NHS relies on a variety of different staff, medicines and equipment in order to provide health care. Coupled with the volume of patients being treated, this can make it difficult to maintain safety. A new report from the National Audit Office looks at what can be done to make the NHS a safer environment for patients.
There has been concern for some time that the nutritional needs of patients are not being met. New guidelines from NICE recommend that every hospital should have a nutritional nurse specialist and that all people admitted to hospital should be routinely screened for nutritional support.
A new benchmark for health promotion has been added to Essence of Care, the government strategy to improve the quality of the fundamental aspects of nursing care. The benchmark provides a tool for making health promotion part of everyday practice and is designed to be applicable to any area.
In the UK although the majority of the population is at very low risk of TB due to vaccination, the number of cases reported is increasing. In response NICE has released fresh guidance on prevention and treatment. Nurses can play a crucial role in adherence due to the extent of their patient contact.
The recent Men's Health Week has brought the issue of men's health back to the forefront of the health provision agenda, but historically men's health has compared badly to that of women. This article examines what nurses can do to improve men's health.
This month sees the release of new NICE best practice guidance for healthcare professionals caring for people with Parkinson's disease. The variety and severity of symptoms that affect people with Parkinson's result in significant disability and present a unique set of challenges for nurses.
Bipolar disorder can be a debilitating long-term condition characterised by extreme mood swings, ranging from elation to severe depression and sometimes coexisting mixtures of the two. This article looks at new guidance from NICE (2006) that provides recommendations for nurses on the assessment, treatment and long-term management of bipolar disorder.
New guidelines on the management of suspected bacterial urinary tract infection in adults have just been released by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN). The guidance states that the presence of bacteriuria should lead to antibiotic treatment only when there is definitive evidence that eradicating the bacterial infection will result in a tangible health gain at a reasonable level of risk (SIGN, 2006).
A statement released last week by the Health Protection Agency highlighted a recent increase in the incidence of Legionnaire's disease in England and Wales. Although an upsurge in cases is common at this time of year due to people returning from holidays abroad, only a small proportion of the recent cases can be attributed to foreign travel. Nurses need to be aware of the symptoms and what health measures they can take.