Improving the assessment of cultural, religious and spiritual needs for patients at the end-of-life within an acute hospital trust.

Background: Cultural, religious and spiritual (CRS) needs become increasingly important to individuals as they approach the end of life. CRS needs often remain unmet for patients dying in an acute hospital setting. The 'Just Ask' quality improvement project was designed to explore barriers to routine assessment of CRS needs, and to design resources and intervention to support staff to increase assessment of these needs.

Genome sequence of Soos: a siphovirus of the CP cluster infecting .

Novel actinobacteriophage Soos was isolated and purified from Southern Indiana soil using host NRRL B-16540. Sequencing revealed a 57,509 bp circularly permuted genome encoding 87 predicted protein-coding genes. Soos is only the third phage in cluster CP, along with phages Clawz and Sting.

Increasing staff time for patient facing care on an inpatient geriatric unit through modification of multidisciplinary board rounds: a quality improvement project.

Background: NHS staff recruitment and retention have failed to keep pace with service demands and workforce burn-out is of significant concern. This quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to increase staff time for patient facing care through reducing duplication of hospital board rounds within a 36-bedded NHS inpatient geriatric ward.

Intervention: Thirty-minute board rounds were reduced from twice daily (Monday-Friday) at 08:30 hours and midday to once daily at midday with the aim of freeing up staff time for patient care.

Surgical cytoreduction of deep-seated high-grade glioma through tubular retractor.

Objective: Maximal safe resection is the goal of surgical treatment for high-grade glioma (HGG). Deep-seated hemispheric gliomas present a surgical challenge due to safety concerns and previously were often considered inoperable. The authors hypothesized that use of tubular retractors would allow resection of deep-seated gliomas with an acceptable safety profile.

Maxillectomy defects: Virtually comparing fibular and scapular free flap reconstructions.

Background: This study virtually compares patient-specific fibular and scapular reconstructions for maxillectomies.

Methods: Nine maxillectomy defects were created on 10 maxillas and virtually reconstructed with patient-specific fibulas and scapulas. Reconstructions were compared for restoring midface cephalometrics, dental implantability, and pedicle length.