Implementation and barriers to waterless care: a questionnaire study of infection prevention and control practitioners, clinicians, and engineers.

Background: Water and wastewater in healthcare settings are recognized to represent a risk to patients. However, waterless care has not been widely implemented in UK healthcare settings.

Aim: To identify barriers to implementation of waterless care.

The expansion and performance of national newborn screening programmes for cystic fibrosis in Europe.

Background: Newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF) is a well-established public health strategy with international standards. The aim of this study was to provide an update on NBS for CF in Europe and assess performance against the standards.

Methods: Questionnaires were sent to key workers in each European country.

Analysis of deaths between 2007 and 2012 of patients with cancer of the head and neck on a surgical ward at a regional centre and in an independent hospice.

Providing the best care for patients dying from cancer of the head and neck is crucial, and their complex, unpredictable needs, particularly at the end of life, mean that they are likely to die in institutional care. To evaluate the care given at the end of life we retrospectively reviewed the case notes of patients who died between 2007 and 2012 in a regional head and neck unit and a specialist palliative care unit (hospice). Deaths were categorised as sudden (rapid or unanticipated) or expected (gradual or anticipated).

Inappropriateness of fresh frozen plasma for abnormal coagulation tests.

Background: There is increasing evidence to suggest that the use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) as a prophylaxis to bleeding is ineffective. However, a high proportion of FFP transfusions still occur in non-bleeding patients despite the high risk of adverse events. The aim of the study was to assess compliance with current prophylactic FFP guidelines at a large tertiary centre.