The membership exam of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

A higher diploma is essential to progress in a career in hospital medicine. The MRCP (UK) and MRCPI are equivalent qualifications. However, there is little published information on the latter. This article reviews the key points regarding the MRCPI.

Blood-taking practices and needle-stick injuries in house officers.

The blood-taking practices and prevalence of needle-stick injuries were recorded for 46 house officers working at the two largest teaching hospitals in Sheffield and 38 house officers working at three hospitals in London. Wearing gloves when performing venesection or inserting an intravenous cannula was generally perceived as making the procedure more difficult and no house officer in either centre wore gloves when performing routine venesection. Twenty-five (54.3%) of the house officers from Sheffield resheathed needles by hand, while a further 14 (28.3%) placed the sheath onto a work surface before attempting to manoeuvre the needle back into its sheath. Only 7 (17.4%) house officers denied resheathing needles after performing venesection. Twenty-seven (58.7%) admitted to having had a needle-stick injury within 3 months of commencing their first house officer post. Twenty-seven (71.1%) of the house officers from London resheathed needles, the remainder disposing of the needle by placing it straight into an appropriate container. Twenty-five (66%) admitted to having had a needle-stick injury the first 6 months of being a house officer. Training in the correct techniques of venesection with emphasis on either avoiding resheathing needles or resheathing safely is essential early in the medical student curriculum and needs regular repetition.