background: in order to assign appropriate planning target volume (ptv) margins, each centre should measure the patient positioning deviations for their set-up techniques. at the royal marsden hospital, uk, a conformal shell (cast) system is used when a stereotactic frame is not suitable. in this paper, we report on a series of measurements with the aim of obtaining the systematic and random co...

Common measures to establish spinal immobilisation at the scene of an accident include keeping the patient's head still, applying a rigid cervical collar and transporting the patient on a rigid spinal board to an emergency department. This article reviews the literature about spinal immobilisation practices in emergency settings, including best-practice guidance and papers on immobilisation, im...

The purpose of this study was to determine if cervical spine immobilisation was related to patient mortality in penetrating cervical trauma. One hundred and ninety-nine patient charts from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans (Charity Hospital, New Orleans) were examined. Charts were identified by searching the Charity Hospital Trauma Registry from 01/01/1994 to 04/...

INTRODUCTION Patient immobilisation is critically important for both highly conformal conventionally fractionated radiotherapy and for stereotactic body radiotherapy. Different immobilisation devices are available to maintain patient position for radiotherapy but the most suitable one remains unknown. METHODS Forty-five patients were randomly allocated to one of three immobilisation devices; ...

OBJECTIVES For pre-hospital spinal immobilisation the spinal board is the established gold standard. There are concerns that its subsequent use in hospital may adversely affect patient outcome. This review examines the effect of prolonged patient immobilisation on the spinal board. METHODS A database search of the literature and review of relevant trauma texts. RESULTS Complications associa...

The clinical and light and electron microscopic findings are reported in a 14-year-old patient who died 12 months after mitral valve replacement with a Hancock prosthesis. Severe cusp calcification had led to immobilisation of the valve and stenosis. Calcification involved the substance of the valve cusps. The cause of the calcification in this patient is unknown.

Fractures of the hip in children have been associated with a very high rate of serious complications including avascular necrosis (up to 47%) and coxa vara (up to 32%). Over a period of 20 years, we have treated displaced fractures by early anatomical reduction, internal fixation and immobilisation in a spica cast to try to reduce these complications. We have reviewed 18 patients who had a disp...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of 15 minutes of immobilisation versus immediate mobilisation after intrauterine insemination. DESIGN Randomised controlled trial. Setting One academic teaching hospital and six non-academic teaching hospitals. PARTICIPANTS Women having intrauterine insemination for unexplained, cervical factor, or male subfertility. INTERVENTIONS 15 minutes of immo...