The blood volume cultured in the detection of bacteraemia is a major variable in treating patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. The fact that drawing optimal volumes (8-10 mL) of blood for culture increases the sensitivity of the method is well established. This study aimed to optimise the mean blood volumes (mBVs) to that recommended level in a small rural hospital by implementing a continuous quality improvement programme in clinical microbiology. The education of phlebotomists, followed by monthly feedback and coaching sessions, can influence the blood volume drawn by phlebotomists and improve the sensitivity of blood cultures. Statistically significant increase (p<0.001) in both mBVs and median blood culture volumes occurred within 5 months compared with the baseline values obtained in the preceding 10 months. This quality improvement was sustained over 1 year. The mBVs inoculated into aerobic culture bottles met the manufacturer's instructions of a fill volume of 8 to 10 mL of blood per bottle and optimised the yield of isolation of organisms from blood cultures.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2017-000228 | DOI Listing |
J Clin Med
December 2024
Department of Adult Critical Care, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, King's Health Partners, London SE1 9RT, UK.
Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCOR) is an emerging technique designed to reduce carbon dioxide (CO) levels in venous blood while enabling lung-protective ventilation or alleviating the work of breathing. Unlike high-flow extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ECCOR operates at lower blood flows (0.4-1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
January 2025
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
From fertilisation to delivery, calcium must be transported into and within the foetoplacental unit for intracellular signalling. This requires very rapid, precisely located Ca transfers. In addition, from around the eighth week of gestation, increasing amounts of calcium must be routed directly from maternal blood to the foetus for bone mineralisation through a flow-through system, which does not impact the intracellular Ca concentration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Pharm
January 2025
Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. Electronic address:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) presents a substantial challenge due to its complex nature, limited effective treatment options, and modest benefits from current therapies in slowing disease progression. This study explores the potential of intranasal delivery to enhance the CNS delivery of riluzole (RLZ), a standard ALS treatment which is subject to blood-brain barrier efflux mechanisms. Additionally, the impact of elacridar (ELC), an efflux pump inhibitor, on IN RLZ CNS bioavailability was examined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Robot Surg
January 2025
Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510230, Guangdong, China.
This study applied cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis to evaluate trends in operative time and blood loss, It aims to identify key milestones in mastering extraperitoneal single-site robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (ss-RARP). A cohort of 100 patients who underwent ss-RARP, performed by a single surgeon at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between March 2021 and June 2023, was retrospectively analyzed. To evaluate the learning curve, the CUSUM (Cumulative Sum Control Chart) technique was applied, revealing the progression and variability over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Case Rep
January 2025
Urology, Ranchi Urology Centre, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India.
Pseudoaneurysm is a common vascular abnormality marked by arterial wall disruption, with complications that can arise unpredictably and carry high morbidity and mortality rates. This case study emphasises the management of recurrent haematuria and clot retention in a young man presenting to the emergency department. It underscores the importance of early recognition and management of recurrent haematuria and clot retention caused by pseudoaneurysm, emphasising the critical role of multidisciplinary collaboration in optimising patient outcomes.
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