Assessment of blood administration competencies using objective structured clinical examination.

Background: In order to minimise the risk of blood transfusion errors, all healthcare professionals who participate in the transfusion process are required to be assessed as competent. New and innovative methods of training and competency assessment are required to improve the training process.

Aim/objective: The aim of this study was to explore the use of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in the assessment of competencies for blood administration.

Acute small bowel obstruction secondary to intestinal endometriosis, an elusive condition: a case report.

Background: Endometriosis is a benign condition affecting females of reproductive age. Although intestinal endometriosis is common it is rare for the condition to manifest as an acute bowel obstruction secondary to ileocaecal and appendicular endometriosis. This case is important to report as it highlights the diagnostic difficulty this particular condition presents to an emergency surgeon.

Endometriosis-associated ileo-cecal perforation in a woman on the pseudopregnancy regimen.

Small intestinal obstruction and perforation associated with endometriosis is uncommon. We report a similar effect following treatment with the combined oral contraceptive. Caution should be exercised when prescribing the combined oral contraceptive in women with suggested small intestinal endometriosis.