Preventable mortality in geriatric hip fracture inpatients.

There is a high rate of mortality in elderly patients who sustain a fracture of the hip. We aimed to determine the rate of preventable mortality and errors during the management of these patients. A 12 month prospective study was performed on patients aged > 65 years who had sustained a fracture of the hip.

Efficacy of continuous venovenous hemodialysis in the treatment of severe lithium toxicity.

The syndrome of lithium toxicity has been well described. Hemodialysis is the recommended treatment for severe toxicity. We report a case in which continuous venovenous hemodialysis was used in the treatment of lithium toxicity.

The third five-year survey of fellows (by examination) of the Faculty of Intensive Care, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

A questionnaire was sent to 126 Fellows who had passed the Fellowship Examination in Intensive Care up to and including the examination of October, 1995. The major objectives were to assess the continuing involvement of Fellows in Intensive Care and obtain feedback on training and the examinations. Only six Fellows failed to respond.

Obtaining consent for organ donation in nine NSW metropolitan hospitals.

Organ donation rates vary markedly around the world. In an attempt to analyse why some patients' families are not asked about organ donation, the case notes of 6080 patients who died over a twelve-month period from April 1991 to March 1992 in nine hospitals in Sydney, NSW, were studied. Irreversible coma occurred in 515 patients.

A survey of Fellows of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons endorsed in intensive care by examination in the first 10 years of final examinations in intensive care.

Fifty-nine of the 70 Fellows of the Faculty of Anaesthetists who had passed the Final Examination in Intensive Care including that of October 1989, responded to a questionnaire on the pattern of their intensive care and anaesthetic practice and their perception of the training and examination. Responses came predominantly from Fellows who had passed the examination more than two years previously. Forty-eight (81%) were practising intensive care at least 50% of the time and 51% had become Director or Deputy Director of an Intensive Care Unit.