Irish medical journal最新文献

{"title":"Advancing Neonatal Medication Safety: Standardisation of Smart-Pump Drug Libraries.","authors":"D Fitzgerald","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 7","pages":"123"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148813235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Increased public and clinician awareness of rabies after UK death.","authors":"E Phair, M de Paor, L Gaughan, P McKeown, L Jessop","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To identify trends within rabies Post Exposure Treatment (PET) product use for 2025 compared with previous years and highlight potential underlying causes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from the National Immunisation Office (NIO) was analysed retrospectively. The years 2020-2022 had low ordering due to COVID-19 so the years 2019, 2023 and 2024 were averaged in a 'baseline year'. Statistical analyses calculated absolute and percentage increases of rabies PET product use in 2025 compared to previous years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ireland saw a sharp increase of 643 units (249%) in rabies vaccine and 103 units (368%) Human Rabies Immunoglobulin (HRIG) use in 2025 compared to the baseline year.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This trend may be associated with heightened clinician and public awareness of rabies prone exposure (RPE) and recent changes to service delivery. External factors including resurgence of travel following COVID-19, a UK rabies related death in June 2025 and global rabies product shortage may compound this.</p>","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"101"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intensive Care Consultants and their obligation from the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015.","authors":"J Bourke, S Keane","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>The purpose of this paper was to explore the level of knowledge and preparedness that Intensive Care Consultants have of their obligations under the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 as it pertained to patients requiring decisions to be made on their behalf within the Intensive Care Environment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The 2015 Act was reviewed and a questionnaire was developed assessing key provisions of the Act necessary for lawful decision making. The questions were formatted with binary responses to confirm that respondents were operating within the meaning of the law; subject to the legal principle of ignorantia legis neminem excusat. This questionnaire was circulated amongst Intensive Care Consultants working in Model 4 Hospitals approved for Joint Facility of Intensive Care training. A third-party online survey platform was used to anonymously collect and process responses from those who consented to participate. Qualitative analysis of the responses was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>22/63 (35%) ICU physicians completed the questionnaire. 19/22 (86%) were aware of the introduction of the 2015 Act. 14/22 (64%) were able to identify a \"relevant person\" under the meaning of the Act. 9/22 (41%) had received training in relation to the act. 7/22 (32%) of respondents were aware of the scope of decisions covered by the Act. 6/22 (27%) were aware of the legal obligations placed upon them by the Act. When challenged, 0/6 (0%) of those were able to successfully identify all statutory criteria for decision making capacity. 5/22 (26%) of respondents stated they had changed their approach to patient decision making since the introduction of the Act.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Deficits in preparedness, knowledge of and familiarity with the Act were evident amongst all respondents. The legislation does not allow for physician interpretation and requires full compliance at all times. Training was either not provided to or not sought out by the majority of respondents. Of those who reported that they were aware of their obligation no one was able to fully demonstrate the minimum expected statutory criteria for decision making capacity. Failure to comply with the legislation leaves practitioners subject to liability. More worryingly physicians have reported little change in their approach to decision making. More training in the area is likely needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking the potential of electronic health records for research purposes.","authors":"D K Ryan, A D Shah","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148329834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gastrointestinal trichobezoars presenting as abdominal pain and obstruction - Rapunzel syndrome.","authors":"R Cullinan, S Parker, R Ahmed, M Alkalban, H O'Sullivan, M Pienaar, M Grannell, I Fernandez Pineda, M Azam","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Presentation: </strong>A 14-year-old female presented to the emergency department with a five-day history of abdominal pain and vomiting. Amylase was raised on admission and she was managed conservatively for presumed acute pancreatitis. Her condition did not improve and she deteriorated a number of days into admission and developed bilious vomiting.</p><p><strong>Diagnosis: </strong>CT abdomen-pelvis showed trichobezoars in the stomach and duodenum.</p><p><strong>Treatment: </strong>She underwent emergent laparotomy and manual removal of bezoars in a tertiary centre followed by multi-disciplinary input post-operatively.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Atypical abdominal pain in the paediatric population not responding to initial treatment warrants review of diagnosis and further investigation with consideration for early tertiary service input.</p>","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148329845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical and Quality-of-Life Outcomes of Omalizumab Treatment in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria.","authors":"J Hynes, S Basheer O'Dwyer, M Lynch","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To evaluate response to omalizumab in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), assess concordance between symptom and quality-of-life scores, and identify predictors of response.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Single-centre retrospective review of adults with CSU treated with omalizumab in a dermatology department in the Midwest of Ireland. Data included demographics, disease duration, and baseline and latest Urticaria Severity Score (USS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and itch and rash scores. Responders were defined as ≥50% USS improvement. Associations were analysed using Spearman's correlation and Cohen's κ.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-six patients were included; 22 (61%) responded, including 11 complete responders. Complete responders had lower baseline USS and DLQI. Correlations between USS and other measures were moderate, with slight-moderate agreement.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Omalizumab improved CSU outcomes. Lower baseline severity predicted complete response, while symptom and quality-of-life improvements showed limited individual concordance.</p>","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"103"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148317068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sepsis in General Practice: experience and attitudes regarding Early Warning Scores.","authors":"S Murphy, D McCarthy, M J O'Dwyer, M P Smiddy","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>To explore General Practitioner (GP) knowledge and experience of sepsis and their attitudes toward the implementation of Early Warning Score (EWS) tools in general practice. Early Warning Scores are clinical scoring systems that combine vital signs to detect early signs of patient deterioration and prompt timely medical intervention. As General Practitioners (GP) are usually the first point of contact for unwell patients, the use of EWSs in General Practice requires exploration.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative study design based on the Theoretical Domains Framework using semi-structured interviews with GPs in the Republic of Ireland was used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Interviews were facilitated with eight GPs. Four dominant domains were identified: Knowledge, Skills, Beliefs about Consequences and Environmental Context and Resources. All participants had knowledge of sepsis and EWSs, and those who used it found it beneficial in supporting clinical decision-making.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>GPs in this study demonstrated knowledge and experience related to sepsis. Attitudes towards the potential for use of EWSs in primary care were mixed however some participants were already using informal systems to identify risk of sepsis. Currently no EWs is validated for use in primary care. Research into the use of EWSs for primary care is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"104"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Podcasting as an adjunct learning strategy in paediatric teaching for medical students.","authors":"N Conlon, N McCallion, J Hourihane","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>Determine patterns of undergraduate student use and general user experience of a ten-part custom-designed Paediatric podcast series.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patterns of use and learning styles were determined by anonymous student survey.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 75 students, 66 (88%) completed the survey; 38 (58%) being non-native English speakers. 49 (74%) listened to at least one episode (median 5 episodes). Users reported high levels of satisfaction with audio quality and ease of use. 37 (76%) agreed the podcast helped them to learn core topics. 9 (18%) students listened solely during \"dedicated study time\", with the majority (n=39; 80%) using a mobile-learning approach. 19 (39%) used closed captioning with 14 (74%) rating it \"useful\". Time constraint was the most frequently cited reason for non-engagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Podcasts are a welcome learning resource for a diverse cohort of medical students.</p>","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"102"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The National Neonatal Transport Programme marks 25 years.","authors":"J F A Murphy","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148316931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ICU Handover: A Persistent Vulnerability in Critical Care Settings.","authors":"M M Riaz, W Qureshi","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14713,"journal":{"name":"Irish medical journal","volume":"119 6","pages":"117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148329808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}