Objective: To describe filling patterns and associated transcriptional aspects in phlebotomy tubes received at PNS Rahat laboratory. Material and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out from November 2006 to August 2007 at Department of Pathology, PNS Rahat, Karachi. Phlebotomy related data was collected from various blood collection tubes and associated request/authorization forms from...

BACKGROUND Mood disorders (MD) show higher prevalence among psychiatric disorders. As a matter of fact 10% of inpatients in non psychiatric health care structures are affected by MD. A consultation-liaison service bridges the gap between psychiatric and other medical disciplines and increases the cooperation in the context of care, improving the diagnostic process for all inpatients in medical ...

BACKGROUND: Consensus Conferences and Guidelines for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis have been published, which recommend the use of prophylactic heparins in patients with risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The aim of this study was the assessment of the prophylaxis of VTE and the adherence to accepted guideline recommendations throughout the hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was c...

INTRODUCTION Positive deviance is an asset-based approach to improvement which has recently been adopted to improve quality and safety within healthcare. The approach assumes that solutions to problems already exist within communities. Certain groups or individuals identify these solutions and succeed despite having the same resources as others. Within healthcare, positive deviance has previous...

BACKGROUND An appropriate and effective nurse-patient communication is of the most important aspect of caring. The formation and continuation of such a relationship depends on various factors such as the conditions and context of communication and a mutual understanding between the two. A review of the literature shows that little research is carried out on identification of such barriers in ho...

OBJECTIVES To explore the processes leading to inappropriate use of medicines for elderly patients admitted for acute care. DESIGN Qualitative study with semistructured interviews with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists; focus groups with inpatients; and observation on the ward by clinical pharmacists for one month. SETTING Five acute wards for care of the elderly in Belgium. PARTICIPANTS 5...

PURPOSE The care of a cancer patient undergoes considerable changes. Patients' most important need is a demand of support in dealing with somatic, psychological, emotional and social complaints. The purpose of this research is to analyse the realization of the psychological support of a cancer patient based on nursing care process records. MATERIAL AND METHODS The research analysis is based o...

OBJECTIVE To identify characteristics of patients who abscond from general hospital wards, and to determine patient outcomes. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING In-patient wards of a public general hospital, Hong Kong. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Incident reports of 116 absconding episodes over a 20-month period from 1 November 1998 to 30 June 2000 were reviewed. Clinical characteristics, time ...

BACKGROUND Early identification of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers may be helpful for clinical and epidemiological reasons. AIM To identify and compare risk factors of previously unknown MRSA carriage on admission to 13 surgical wards in France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. METHODS The study was a prospective observational cohort study which enrolled consecutive pati...