General
Standards on the use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007)
A key feature of the report, published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, is that Emergency Departments should only be used as a place of safety when medical problems are suspected.
Short Stay Paediatric Assessment Units (SSPAUs) - Advice for Commissioners and Providers
The Royal College of Paediatrics and child Health has issued advice on short stay paediatric units. It proposes that SSPAUs can improve the provision of safe emergency services for children and that they should be developed more widely
New guidance following laxative errors in NHS
The NPSA has urged healthcare organisations to review their current practice for the administration and use of certain types of prescribed laxatives given to patients prior to bowel surgery or examination, after it has received reports of 218 patient safety incidents and one death, between 27/11/2003 and 6/1/2009 involving oral bowel cleansing solutions.
Guidelines
Endovascular stent–grafts for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (NICE)
Amantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir for the treatment of influenza (NICE)
Statement on the use of unlicensed medicines or licensed medicines for unlicensed uses in critically ill patients (Intensive Care Society)
Advance Care Planning (Royal College of Physicians)
Evidence-Based Medicine
BestBETS – Best Evidence Topics provide rapid evidence-based answers to real-life clinical questions, using a systematic approach to reviewing the literature. Three new or modified BETS were added last month.
Gammahydroxybutyrate overdose and physostigmine
Does daily prednisolone reduce the risk of relapse secondary to viral infections in steroid-dependant nephrotic syndrome?
Does oral aciclovir improve clinical outcome in immunocompetent children with primary herpes simplex gingivotomatitis?
National Library for Health
Annual Evidence Update on Chest Pain : Emergency Care
Chest Pain Annual Evidence Update
Cochrane Library
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Acetylcysteine and carbocysteine for acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections in paediatric patients without chronic broncho-pulmonary disease
Highlights from the Literature
Emergency Medicine Online, March 2009, vol. 26, issue 3
The use of plain abdominal x rays in the emergency department
Contribution of goal-directed ultrasonography to clinical decision-making for emergency physicians
Usefulness of a mobile phone with video telephony in identifying the correct landmark for performing needle thoracocentesis
This bulletin is brought to you by the Knowledge and Information Service. It aims to keep you up-to-date with infection control issues. At the beginning of each month, a librarian will update the bulletin with relevant information published in the preceding month. If there are areas you think we also need to cover, please let us know.
This bulletin is brought to you by Library and Knowledge Services. It aims to keep you up-to-date with accident and emergency issues. At the beginning of each month, a librarian will update the bulletin with relevant information published in the preceding month. If there are areas you think we also need to cover, please let us know.
