OBJECTIVE To estimate, in a metropolitan accident and emergency (A&E) department, the annual cost of treating overseas visitors whose countries of origin do not have reciprocal arrangements with Britain. METHODS The study was retrospective. A 24 h period (00.01 h to 24.00 h inclusive) on consecutive days in consecutive weeks (that is, Monday in week 1, Tuesday in week 2, etc) was costed over ...

OBJECTIVE To investigate parents' views about deferred consent to inform management of trial disclosure after a child's death. METHODS A postal questionnaire survey was sent to members of the Meningitis Research Foundation UK charity, whose child had suffered from bacterial meningitis or meningococcal septicaemia within the previous 5 years. Main outcome measures were acceptability of deferre...

POLICY STATEMENT: “The reality is that postpartum hemorrhage requiring transport is extremely rare. The incident reported is 0.2 to 1 percent” (Varney, 2004, p 952). In research that examines out-of-hospital birth with a comparison low-risk group birthing in the hospital, there is a greater incidence of postpartum hemorrhage in the hospital group. With advanced planning, immediate PPH is a comp...

OBJECTIVE Alternatives to prospective informed consent to enable children with life-threatening conditions to be entered into trials of emergency treatments are needed. Across Europe, a process called deferred consent has been developed as an alternative. Little is known about the views and experiences of those with first-hand experience of this controversial consent process. To inform how cons...

Copyright © 2010 Massachusetts Medical Society. A 46-year-old woman who has had two admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) for asthma during the past year presents with a 4-day history of upper respiratory illness and a 6-hour history of shortness of breath and wheezing. An inhaled corticosteroid has been prescribed, but she takes it only when she has symptoms, which is rarely. She general...

Food anaphylaxis is now the leading known cause of anaphylactic reactions treated in emergency departments in the United States. It is estimated that there are 30 000 anaphylactic reactions to foods treated in emergency departments and 150 to 200 deaths each year. Peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish account for most severe food anaphylactic reactions. Although clearly a form of immunoglobul...

Despite its effectiveness in the treatment of malignant tumors, bevacizumab is associated with a variety of side effects such as the formation of fistulas (i.e., tracheoesophageal, colovaginal, or rectovaginal). It is important to recognize immediately the emergence of this entity in order to discontinue bevacizumab permanently and treat the fistula.

BACKGROUND The significant reductions in hospital admission demonstrated in US assertive community treatment (ACT) studies have not been replicated in the UK. Explanations cite poor UK 'model fidelity' and/or better UK standard care. No international model-fidelity comparisons exist. AIMS To compare high-fidelity US ACT teams with a UK team. METHOD The UK 700's ACT team (n=97) was compared ...