Use of an electronic alert to identify patients with acute kidney injury.

Early intervention in the management of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been shown to improve outcomes. To facilitate early review we have introduced real time reporting for AKI. An algorithm using the laboratory computer system was implemented to report AKI for inpatients.

Hepatitis E seroprevalence in recipients of renal transplants or haemodialysis in southwest England: a case-control study.

Locally acquired HEV infection is increasingly recognized in developed countries. Anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence has been shown to be high in haemodialysis patients in a number of previous studies, employing assays of uncertain sensitivity. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-HEV IgG seroprevalence in recipients of haemodialysis and renal transplants compared to a control group using a validated, highly sensitive assay.

What do hospital staff in the UK think are the causes of penicillin medication errors?

Background: Medication errors are a potential major threat to patient's health, and allergic reactions occurring in patients with known allergies are an important preventable form of adverse drug event. The use of penicillin antibiotics in patients who are allergic to penicillin, in particular, is a major concern.

Aim: To survey staff attitudes and beliefs to incidents involving penicillin allergic patients who are prescribed and administered penicillin antibiotics.

Factors affecting long-term survival of tunnelled haemodialysis catheters--a prospective audit of 812 tunnelled catheters.

Background: In 2001, in the US, 23% of haemodialysis patients were dialysing through tunnelled venous catheters (TVCs), and in the UK (2006) there were 28% of prevalent patients using catheters. It is unlikely that numbers will significantly decrease. We present the results of a prospective audit of the survival of 812 TVCs placed in 492 patients at our institution over a 6-year period (comprising 212 048 patient catheter days or 7068 patient catheter months of follow-up).

Predictors of recurrent hyperparathyroidism after total parathyroidectomy in chronic renal failure.

Background/aims: Recurrent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) after total parathyroidectomy (TPTX) in chronic renal failure appears more common than might be anticipated.

Methods: To study its predictors, we reviewed all 20 cases of TPTX performed at our hospital in a 10-year period.

Results: During follow-up (median 46.