A Heart for Travel: Travel Health Considerations for Patients with Heart Disease and Cardiac Devices.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in adult international travellers. Patients living with heart disease should receive specific, individualised pre-travel health advice. The purpose of this article is to provide evidence-based advice to physicians who are consulted by travellers with cardiovascular disease. Fitness-to-travel evaluation will often be conducted by the general practitioner but other medical specialists may also be consulted for advice. Patients with chronic medical conditions should purchase travel health insurance. The general pre-travel health consultation addresses food and water safety, insect and animal bite avoidance, malaria chemoprophylaxis, and travel vaccinations. Patients with devices such as cardiac pacemakers should be familiar with how these may be affected by travel. Cardiac medications may cause adverse effects in cold or hot environments, and specific precautions must be followed by anticoagulated travellers. The physician should be aware of how to access medical care abroad, and of the potential for imported tropical diseases in returned travellers.

Experiences of international travel in patients with psychotic illness: a case series.

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors influencing successful international travel among patients with psychotic illness. METHODS: Eight individuals participated in a semi-structured interview of 15-20-minute duration with a clinician in relation to their recent experience of international travel. Clinical files were reviewed and a case series was compiled. RESULTS: Four individuals engaged in international travel without any adverse effects. Four other individuals experienced significant psychotic and/or affective symptoms while travelling. Treatment non-adherence, a lack of awareness of how to obtain support and limited or no pre-travel planning were noted in these individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-travel counselling, treatment adherence, provision of information packages relating to their mental illness and having contact details of their treating mental health team increase the likelihood of successful international travel in patients with psychotic illness. Travelling with a companion may reduce fear of relapse.

The effect of lifestyle and risk factor modification on occlusive peripheral arterial disease outcomes: standard healthcare vs structured programme-for a randomised controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects more than 200 million of the global population. PAD represents a marker for premature cardiovascular events. Patients with PAD, even in the absence of a history of myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke, have approximately the same relative risk of death from cardiovascular causes as patients with a history of coronary or cerebrovascular disease. Despite the high prevalence of PAD and the strong association with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, patients with PAD are less likely to receive appropriate treatment for their atherosclerotic risk factors than those who are being treated for coronary artery disease. Atherosclerotic risk factor identification and modification play an important role in reducing the number of adverse outcomes among patients with atherosclerosis. Risk reduction therapy decreases the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in patients with PAD. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of a lifestyle and risk factor modification intervention programme in achieving treatment goals for PAD risk factors. METHODS: This is a randomised, parallel group, active-control trial to compare the effectiveness of the risk factor modification intervention programme to standard healthcare in a tertiary vascular care centre, in the reduction of modified risk factors in PAD patients. The primary outcome of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a lifestyle and risk factor modification intervention programme in achieving treatment goals for PAD risk factors at 3 and 12 months. The secondary outcomes are to compare the impact of the programme on clinical outcomes in PAD patients at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include amputation-free survival, clinical improvement, haemodynamic improvement, need for revascularisation procedures, outcomes of revascularisation procedures, changes in quality of life and the incidence of adverse events. DISCUSSION: This study will provide clear evidence on the effectiveness of a lifestyle and risk factor modification intervention programme in achieving treatment goals for PAD risk factors, through a high-quality, well-powered clinical trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered (11/07/2017) on the European Clinical Trials Database (EudraCT number 2017-002964-41) and ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03935776 ) which was registered on 02 May 2019.

Outcomes from a community-based hypertension educational programme: the West of Ireland Hypertension study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a leading modifiable risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease. Research indicates a growing prevalence of hypertension among adults worldwide, with accompanying low levels of patient knowledge, and sub-optimal clinical management. AIMS: This study aims to explore the impact of a structured hypertension educational intervention on patient knowledge, lifestyle behaviours and blood pressure control. DESIGN: An observational, prospective cohort design was selected. METHODS: Participants were recruited through a public blood pressure screening event in a community-based setting. They were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire followed by an assessment of their blood pressure. Participants with high blood pressure were randomly assigned to either a control group or an intervention group. Those in the intervention group received an educational intervention on hypertension 4 weeks later. Both groups were recalled 4 months later for a repeat of the same initial assessment. RESULTS: Eighty-one participants with a mean age of 64 years were included in this study. There were no significant differences in the baseline measures between the two groups. Significant improvements were found in the intervention group compared with the control group in levels of hypertension knowledge and awareness (p = <0.001), exercise levels (p = 0.002) and weight (p = 0.003). Participants who underwent the intervention showed a greater reduction in both systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure (SBP 158.8 to 141.6 mmHg, p < 0.0001 and DBP 84.7 to 77.7 mmHg, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Providing a tailored educational intervention can positively impact on hypertension knowledge, self-care management and control within community-based settings.

Undergraduate basic surgical skills education: impact on attitudes to a career in surgery and surgical skills acquisition.

INTRODUCTION: Basic surgical skills modules in medical education are effective in teaching skills and increasing confidence among students approaching surgery. However, these modules are not delivered universally and their effect on the professional development of graduates has not been established. We aimed to assess the impact of a 10-week basic surgical skills module on attitudes and technical skills of first year medical students compared to interns. METHODS: Eighteen students participated and were assessed using a 4-part questionnaire. Technical skills were assessed by observing students perform a basic interrupted suture, using the objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS) tool. Fourteen interns were recruited. RESULTS: Students were more confident in surgical scrubbing (mean score 4.0 vs. 2.86, p = 0.001), and performing a basic suture (4.05 vs. 1.93, p = 0.000), more enthusiastic about assisting with an operation (4.5 vs. 3.0, p = 0.001) and more likely to consider a career in surgery (4.16 vs. 2.28, p = 0.000). Technical skills were greater in the student group (mean score 30.8 vs. 19.6, p = 0.001). Five interns had taken part in surgical skills modules as undergraduates. Their technical skills were significantly higher compared to interns who had not (n = 9) (28.8 vs. 14.5, p = 0.006), and they were more likely to consider a career in surgery (3.6 vs. 1.5, p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: The introduction of surgical skills teaching to the undergraduate medical curriculum has a positive impact on students' attitudes towards surgery and accelerates basic technical skills development. Consideration should be given to development of a standardised undergraduate core curriculum in basic surgical skills teaching.

Assessing operational performance benefits of a Water Safety Plan implemented in Southwestern France.

AIMS: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended Water Safety Plans (WSPs) since 2004 as a means to reduce drinking water contamination and risks to human health. These risk management programs have shown promise across several potential areas of evaluation, such as economic benefits and regulatory compliance. Since WSPs are largely carried out by people who interact with water treatment equipment and processes, operational performance indicators may be key to understanding the mechanisms behind desirable WSP impacts such as water quality and public health improvement. METHOD: This study reports performance measures collected at a WSP implementation location in southwestern France over several years. RESULTS: Quantitative assessment of performance measures supported qualitative reports from utility managers. Results indicate significantly reduced duration of low-chlorine events at one production facility and a significant decrease in customer complaints related to water quality, manifesting reported improvements in operational performance and the customer service culture. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate some success stories and potential areas of future performance tracking. Cyclical iteration of the WSP can help to achieve continuous quality improvement. Successfully applied evaluation criteria such as the number of water quality complaints or alarm resolution time might be useful across other locations.

Lifestyle risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetic risk in a sedentary occupational group: the Galway taxi driver study.

BACKGROUND: Taxi drivers are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), something which persists after correcting for the overrepresentation of traditional risk factors for CVD in this cohort. The contribution of lifestyle risk factors to this residually elevated CVD risk remains under-evaluated. AIMS: We aimed to determine the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors for CVD, self-reported medical risk factors for CVD, and future risk of type 2 diabetes amongst Irish taxi drivers. METHODS: Male taxi drivers with no history of CVD and type 2 diabetes and working in Galway city in the west of Ireland were invited to participate. Physical activity levels, dietary patterns, anthropometry, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, and Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) values were recorded in a cross-sectional manner. RESULTS: 41 taxi drivers (mean age 56.7 ± 9.8 years) participated. 37 % were insufficiently active based on self-report, although only 8 % objectively achieved 10, 000 steps per day. Mean modified Mediterranean diet score (mMDS) was 4.6 ± 2.2, and only 13 % of participants had a normal body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC). Those who worked for taxi companies tended to have a higher BMI (p = .07) and WC (p = .04) by multivariable regression. 22 % were current smokers, although a quit rate of 72 % was observed amongst the 78 % of taxi drivers who had ever smoked. 25 % were at high or very high risk of future type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle risk factors for CVD and dysglycaemia are prevalent amongst Irish taxi drivers.

Measurement of the Postgraduate Educational Environment of Junior Doctors Training in Medicine at an Irish University Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: A positive learning environment in which postgraduate doctors are supported, supervised and nurtured, is likely to lead to enhanced professional satisfaction and improved patient care. AIMS: The aims of the current study were to use the PHEEM inventory to determine the aspects of their current learning environment which junior doctors rate most and least positively. METHODS: The PHEEM questionnaire was administered to all junior doctors working in medical subspecialties at Galway University Hospitals in Ireland. A response rate of 60 % (n = 61) was obtained. RESULTS: The mean total PHEEM score was 82.88 ± 18.99, corresponding to an educational environment with more positive than negative aspects but with room for improvement. The mean total PHEEM score (±standard deviation) of registrars (89.65 ± 20.92) exceeded that of Interns (84.00 ± 15.26) and SHOs (75.12 ± 18.09). Over half (55 %) of the individual items were rated by the junior doctors as more positive than negative. Nineteen items (48 %) pointed to areas in need of enhancement, whilst 3 items were rated as satisfactory or better. Analysis of qualitative data confirmed that deficiencies exist in various aspects of the educational climate, including protected educational time, access to suitable learning opportunities, the nature of tasks performed by junior doctors, the hospital bleep protocol, implementation of the European Working Time Directive, feedback and career guidance. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations stemming from this study should lead to improvements in the quality of the educational environment of junior doctors and may stimulate similar evaluations in other teaching hospitals.

The health information network.

The health information network concept is certainly visionary. It has much merit but it is doomed to failure unless the proposed users of this information show much more concern for confidentiality.

The Jukes of Van Diemen's land? or, a Tasmanian problem family.

A longitudinal survey into the membership distribution of a Tasmanian family is described. A search of most available sources was made to establish the full name and relationship of everyone with that family name born or landed in the colony since 1803. Over 450 names were collected and a family tree constructed containing, to date, 285 of the names. To begin with, research was based on the idea that this family was unchanged by time and formed a large homogenous group, potentially hopeless and difficult to help. The problem members were identified from social and other records and were found to form only a small proportion of the whole. None of the social agencies, private or State, corrective or remedial, helping or educational, had a true idea of the size of this family group or of the validity of their ideas about the constituent family members. This preliminary study suggests that most of their present ideas are incorrect, and are founded on honest but false impressions.

Recommendations for the practice of travel medicine.

Travel Medicine has emerged as a distinct entity over the last two decades in response to a very substantial increase in international travel and is now forging its own identity, remit and objectives for care of the traveller. Crucial to the formation of any speciality is the definition of recommendations for its practice. This is particularly important and needed for travel medicine as it overlaps with and forms part of day-to-day work in a number of different medical specialities. This document defines a set of recommendations for the practice of travel medicine from the Faculty of Travel Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Their objective is to help raise standards of practice and achieve greater uniformity in provision of services, better to protect those who travel. As travel medicine moves towards applying for speciality status, these standards will also contribute to that process.

Pulmonary artery leiomyosarcoma: an unusual cause of shortness of breath.

INTRODUCTION: Primary leiomyosarcomas of the pulmonary artery are very rare tumours with 30 cases reported in the English literature. Herein, we report the first case with evidence of a renal metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The tumour was discovered at autopsy in a 61-year-old woman who had presented with shortness of breath and chest pain. It was located in the pulmonary trunk with extension into the adjacent pericardial cavity. Separate nodules were found in the pulmonary valve, the left pulmonary artery and the left kidney. RESULTS: On microscopic examination, the tumour was composed of spindle cells with cigar-shaped nuclei immunoreactive for vimentin, desmin, CD68 and α-smooth muscle actin. CONCLUSIONS: Primary pulmonary artery leiomyosarcoma is easily confused clinically with pulmonary thromboembolism and most cases are diagnosed post mortem. Most tumours arise in the pulmonary trunk and metastases are only rarely described. The management of patients with this rare tumour depends on early surgical resection and the prognosis is unfavourable.

A high-speed hydroplane accident.

This report records the investigation into a high-speed hydroplane accident in which the driver died. He was ejected head first into the water at 117 to 126 ft/sec (80 to 85 mph), suffering brain damage and a fractured skull. Suggestions are made to minimize the effects of these inevitable crashes.