Publications by authors named "Andrea Benjamin"

Article Synopsis
  • Evaluating infections in home-based primary care is complex, affecting how clinicians prescribe antibiotics and highlighting the need for improved antibiotic stewardship strategies.
  • The study involved semi-structured interviews with 22 clinicians from the Department of Veterans Affairs, exploring their experiences and decision-making regarding antibiotic use in home settings.
  • Key findings revealed that clinicians face uncertainties around diagnosing infections due to unique patient characteristics and care delivery challenges, with multiple factors influencing their decision to prescribe antibiotics, including both pressures to prescribe and concerns about potential harm.
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Obesity is associated with respiratory dysfunction. It is a key risk and contributory factor in the sleep related breathing disorders, obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). Weight management is an integral part of the management of these disorders, in addition to continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV).

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Objectives: Concerns have repeatedly been raised about end-of-life decision making when a patient with diminished capacity is represented by a professional guardian, a paid official appointed by a judge. Such guardians are said to choose high-intensity treatment even when it is unlikely to be beneficial or to leave pivotal decisions to the court. End-of-life decision making by professional guardians has not been examined systematically, however.

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Unlabelled: Hamman's syndrome (spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum) is a rare complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), with a multifactorial etiology. Awareness of this syndrome is important: it is likely underdiagnosed as the main symptom of shortness of breath is often attributed to Kussmaul's breathing and the findings on chest radiograph can be subtle and easily missed. It is also important to be aware of and consider Boerhaave's syndrome as a differential diagnosis, a more serious condition with a 40% mortality rate when diagnosis is delayed.

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Junior doctors can find the process of doing an audit helpful in gaining an understanding of the healthcare process—here’s how to do one

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