Trainee experiences of intellectual disability psychiatry and an innovative leaderless support group: a qualitative study.

There is very little research into the challenges of training in intellectual disability psychiatry or into interventions which may address these challenges. Using focus groups, we explored the experiences of intellectual disability psychiatry trainees, and evaluated a leaderless trainee support group developed in Bristol. Five distinct themes were identified via framework analysis: that trainees felt unprepared for the difference from previous posts; the need for support; the value of the group; that trainees were concerned about judgement in supervision; that the group structure was valued.

Are hospital admissions reduced by Acute Medicine consultant telephone triage of medical referrals?

The NHS in England is facing well-documented pressures related to increasing acute hospital admissions at a time when the acute medical bed-base is shrinking, doctors working patterns are increasingly fragmented and many acute hospital trusts are operating a financial deficit. Novel strategies are required to reduce pressure on the acute medical take. We conducted a prospective cohort study to assess the impact of acute medicine consultant triage of referrals to the acute medical take on the number of acute hospital admissions as compared to a historical control cohort.

Elemental fingerprinting of mussel shells to predict population sources and redistribution potential in the Gulf of Maine.

As the climate warms, species that cannot tolerate changing conditions will only persist if they undergo range shifts. Redistribution ability may be particularly variable for benthic marine species that disperse as pelagic larvae in ocean currents. The blue mussel, Mytilus edulis, has recently experienced a warming-related range contraction in the southeastern USA and may face limitations to northward range shifts within the Gulf of Maine where dominant coastal currents flow southward.

The inferior hypogastric plexus: a different view.

The morphology of the inferior hypogastric plexus has been demonstrated in a series of dissections of nulliparous cadavers. Each cadaver was embalmed in a solution containing a significant proportion of methanol which preserved the pliability of the tissues enabling the nerve plexi to be clearly demonstrated. These structures are not normally encountered during general gynaecological surgery and clinicians are often unaware of the possible consequences of injury during vaginal delivery or sustained constipation.