Management of hypertension and diabetes in obesity: non-pharmacological measures.

Obesity has become a global epidemic over the past few decades because of unhealthy dietary habits and reduced physical activity. Hypertension and diabetes are quite common among obese individuals and there is a linear relationship between the degree of obesity and these diseases. Lifestyle interventions like dietary modifications and regular exercise are still important and safe first-line measures for treatment.

Cinderella service to health service priority: infection control in the UK.

Reducing the morbidity, mortality and economic burden of healthcare-associated infection has become an NHS priority. However, this has not always been the case. The problems associated with hospital infection have been well known for some considerable time but historically the topic has been afforded scant resources, and relegated to 'Cinderella' status.

Exploring the hand hygiene competence of student nurses: a case of flawed self assessment.

Hand hygiene remains the single most effective measure to prevent hospital acquired infection and yet poor compliance is reported repeatedly. Nurses represent the largest labour group and perform the greatest amount of direct patient care in the contemporary National Health Service. They receive their initial hand hygiene training in the pre-registration curriculum within a competence framework based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Compliance and infection control guidelines: a complex phenomenon.

Healthcare-acquired infection has become a global health phenomenon affecting approximately 8.7% of the world's population. Despite a plethora of evidence-based guidelines, policies and procedures, knowledge of these can be poor, and when this is the case, sub-optimum care may follow.

Avoiding the use of agency staff in the operating department.

In January 2006 the BBC reported NHS trust debts of 1.07 billion pounds sterling in England (BBC 2006a). In April 2006 it reported that 7,000 job losses had already been confirmed (BBC 2006b)--although this figure could rise to as many as 13,000.

Yoga: a tool for improving the quality of life in chronic pancreatitis.

Aim: To determine the effectiveness of yoga on improving the quality of life in patients of chronic pancreatitis.

Methods: The patients were randomized to two groups. The control group continued their usual care as directed by their physicians.

Atraumatic rupture of the spleen in adults.

Atraumatic rupture of the spleen is an uncommon but important clinical entity. Unfortunately, the diagnosis is often missed due to the absence of any history of trauma. Various aspects of atraumatic rupture of the spleen, including those of 'pathologic' and 'spontaneous' rupture of the spleen, have been reviewed.

Bilateral gynaecomastia as the primary complaint in hyperthyroidism.

Association of gynaecomastia with hyperthyroidism is uncommon but has been well documented in the past. Gynaecomastia in a patient with hyperthyroidism rarely presents as a primary complaint. When this occurs, it may present a diagnostic challenge to the clinician.

Improving reporting of sharp injuries.

There is considerable under-reporting of contaminated needlestick and other sharp object injuries among health-care workers. Some general and psychological factors contribute to such low reporting. Continued training of staff, a sympathetic attitude and clarification of some general issues might improve reporting of such incidents.

Migration of sterilisation clips: case report and review.

A case is reported of a sterilisation clip which was discovered, three years after operation, to have migrated to the subcutaneous tissue. A review of current techniques of female sterilisation is given together with a discussion of other relevant accounts of clip migration. It is shown to be a rare event with no reported serious sequelae.