Oesophageal and gastric cancer pathology reporting: a regional audit.

Aim: To audit the information content of pathology reports of oesophageal and gastric cancer resection specimens in Wales.

Methods: All such reports from the 16 NHS histopathology laboratories in Wales in a one year period were evaluated for their information content. Two standards were used: (1) best practice reporting, and (2) a minimum dataset required for informed patient management that included clear statements on histological tumour type, depth of tumour invasion, lymph node involvement, and completeness of excision.

Mortality from ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm in Wales.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the incidence of, and mortality in, patients with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) reaching hospital alive in Wales.

Methods: Patients who presented with a ruptured AAA between September 1996 and August 1997 were analysed. Data were collected prospectively by an independent body, observing strict confidentiality.

Colorectal cancer pathology reporting: a regional audit.

Aims: To audit the information content of pathology reports of colorectal cancer specimens in one National Health Service region.

Methods: All reports of colorectal cancer resection specimens from the 17 NHS histopathology laboratories in Wales during 1993 were evaluated against: (a) standards previously agreed as desirable by pathologists in Wales; and (b) standards considered to be the minimum required for informed patient management.

Results: 1242 reports were audited.

Control of hydatid disease in Wales.

Objectives: To evaluate the success of the south Powys hydatid control programme by analysis of trends in cystic disease in humans and sheep and dog infestation.

Design: A review of hospital admissions for human hydatid disease in 1984-90, abattoir prevalence surveys of hydatid cysts in adult sheep, arecoline acetarsol and coproantigen surveys of prevalence of Echinococcus infestation in dogs.

Setting: All hospitals in England and Wales, three abattoirs, and dog populations in mid ands south east Wales.

Human hydatid disease: evaluation of an ELISA for diagnosis, population screening and monitoring of control programmes.

The routine use of ELISA and complement fixation tests in the diagnosis of suspected clinical cases of hydatid disease was evaluated. In the ELISA test, dialysed and filtered sheep cyst fluid was used as antigen and two positive cut-off points--+3SD and +2SD of the mean absorbance values of the control sera--were evaluated. The predictive values of ELISA tests were 82% and 90% for positive tests, and 86% and 82% for negative tests, respectively with the two cut-off points.

The changing incidence of human hydatid disease in England and Wales.

The incidence of hospital-diagnosed human hydatid disease acquired in the UK was estimated from a survey based on Hospital Activity Analysis data for the period 1974-83. The average annual incidence in Wales was 0.4 per 100,000 population compared with 0.

Micro-aggregate content of red cell suspensions stored in saline adenine glucose mannitol optimal additive solution.

The micro-aggregate content of blood collected into conventional CPDA-1 preservative was compared with that of red cells stored in saline adenine glucose and mannitol optimal additive preservative solution (SAG-M). The results show that the optimal additive packs from which either platelet rich or platelet poor plasma have been removed contain 38% of the micro-aggregates in CPDA-1 blood. When platelets, plasma and the buffy coat are also removed, the residual micro-aggregates amount to only 16% of those in CPDA-1 whole blood.