A Guide to the Gut Microbiome and its Relevance to Critical Care

If abnormalities in the gut microbiome may be a risk factor for —or directly contribute to—particular diseases, then attempting to alter the gut microbiome back to a ‘normal’ state may be an...

End-of-life care in paediatrics

Studies have sought to examine the experiences of parents whose child has received EoLC. Although the quality of life for a child at this time is often dependent on their illness, research has shown...

Facilitating the adherence journey of children, adolescents, and adults on long-term growth hormone therapy

Treatment adherence is a key factor influencing the outcomes of long-term growth hormone treatment. Suboptimal adherence has a substantial negative impact on patients (such as poorer health outcomes),...

A Nurse-Led Clinic Model for the Treatment of Cervical Dystonia Using Botulinum Toxin

The classification system for dystonia (see Table 1), is based on clinical characteristics (age at onset, body distribution, temporal pattern, the coexistence of other movement disorders and...

The Institute for Health Protection and its role in tackling COVID-19

Perhaps fearing the worst, the Government announced the creation of the institute last August, when many people were hoping the worst of COVID-19 was over and were enjoying the lifting of lockdown,...

The Long and Winding Road to Developing a Patient Safety Culture

Whether it is the NHS in England or in a developing or transitioning country, a patient safety culture and a focus on health quality are intrinsic, inseparable features. Common sense dictates that a...

The Consequences of Failing to Discharge the Duty of Candour

The organisational duty of candour is imposed on healthcare providers in England under the provisions of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated...

How the lack of a bursary has affected nursing students

‘Due to the time constraints that came with having to combine the placement with work, I found myself at points being quite brief and surface-researching topics for the assignment’.

We can't leave social care in the cold

Inserting central lines via the peripheral circulation in neonates

There is considerable commercial choice of IV vascular access device (VAD) and consequently it is important to develop clear guidelines on device selection to ensure optimal clinical and economic use...

Diagnostic accuracy among trainees to safely confirm peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement using bedside ultrasound

Central venous catheter (CVC) insertion is a common procedure among hospitalized patients with more than 5 million CVCs placed annually in the United States.1 As peripherally inserted central...

Managing CVADs in 2020

Survey of ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous practices: a report of supply usage and variability between clinical roles and departments

Peripheral intravenous (PIV) catheters are the most common devices used to deliver medications, fluids, blood products, and nutrition. Approximately 2 billion PIV catheters are inserted worldwide...

Misplacement of piccs following power-injected CT contrast media

The vascular access team at the authors' trust is managed by the lead vascular access nurse and one clinical nurse specialist. Placement of PICCs is done at the bedside in the wards or at an...

SECUREment bundles to prevent peripheral intravenous catheter failure—the SECURE-PIVC trial: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

The global problem of PIVC failure remains unresolved and requires innovative solutions to reduce the currently high failure rates. This pilot RCT is first in investigating the use of bundled,...