Implementation of the Safewards model in public mental health facilities: A qualitative evaluation of staff perceptions.

Background: The Safewards model is gaining increasing acceptance in the mental health field in Australia and overseas. One of the most important goals of inpatient psychiatric services is to provide a safe and therapeutic environment for both patients and staff. However, this goal can be difficult to achieve if staff-patient interaction is not conducive to preventing violence and aggression.

Maximum temperatures of 89°C recorded during the mechanical preparation of 35 femoral heads for resurfacing.

Background And Purpose: We noticed that our instruments were often too hot to touch after preparing the femoral head for resurfacing, and questioned whether the heat generated could exceed temperatures known to cause osteonecrosis.

Patients And Methods: Using an infra-red thermal imaging camera, we measured real-time femoral head temperatures during femoral head reaming in 35 patients undergoing resurfacing hip arthroplasty. 7 patients received an ASR, 8 received a Cormet, and 20 received a Birmingham resurfacing arthroplasty.

Abnormalities of the lumbar spine in the coronal plane on plain abdominal radiographs.

The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of coronal abnormalities of the lumbar spine in a large population of patients with respect to their age and sex. Lumbar degenerative disease is associated with degenerative scoliosis. Degenerative scoliosis and lateral listhesis are important features to identify before decompressive surgery as deformity may not be seen on magnetic resonance imaging scans.

The use and abuse of abbreviations in orthopaedic literature.

Introduction: Abbreviations are commonly used in medical literature. Their use has been associated with medical errors and they can be a source of irritation and misunderstanding. There are strict guidelines for their use.

A clinical improvement project to develop and implement a decision-making framework for the use of seclusion.

The use of seclusion within acute psychiatric settings is contentious. As evidenced by its use in practice, seclusion continues to be supported by mental health-care professionals. However, there is a growing evidence base that indicates that it is viewed negatively by patients and causes symptoms of severe distress.