Improving the quality and speed of access to operation notes.

Introduction: Operation notes are often poorly completed, potentially compromising patient care. This project was undertaken to improve the quantity, quality and clarity of information included in operation notes, and make them easier to locate within a set of patient notes.

Methods: Operation notes were audited against standards laid out in national guidelines.

Low dietary intake of linoleic acid predisposes to myocardial infarction.

Thirty-two men who had recently had a myocardial infarction were matched individually for age with controls who had no evidence of heart disease. The patients had a significantly lower proportion of linoleic acid and a higher proportion of palmitic acid in their plasma triglyceride fatty acids. Analysis of the composition of red-cell membrane phosphatidyl choline, which reflects long-term dietary fat intake, showed a significantly lower proportion of linoleic acid in the patients.