Pharmacy services at admission and discharge in adult, acute, public hospitals in Ireland.

Objectives: to describe hospital pharmacy involvement in medication management in Ireland, both generally and at points of transfer of care, and to gain a broad perspective of the hospital pharmacy workforce.

Methods: a survey of all adult, acute, public hospitals with an accident and emergency (A&E) department (n = 36), using a semi-structured telephone interview.

Key Findings: there was a 97% (n = 35) response rate.

Amygdala reduction in patients with ADHD compared with major depression and healthy volunteers.

Objective: Results in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on structural brain changes and the clinical relevance are contradictory. The aim of this study was to investigate whether in adult patients with ADHD hippocampal or amygdala volumes differs from that in healthy controls and patients with major depression (MD).

Method: Twenty patients with ADHD, 20 matched patients with MD and 20 healthy controls were studied with high resolution magnetic resonance imaging.

Primary progressive aphasia presenting as possible conversion disorder.

We describe a case of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) in a 62 year old right handed Irish woman who had progressive speech and language difficulty over a period of six years. She continued to work for a remarkable length of time and lived independently managing all her activities of daily living. The case posed a diagnostic challenge because initial presentation was suggestive of a conversion disorder.

Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis and associated hemophagocytic syndrome--a first case report and review of the literature.

In this manuscript we describe the first association in the literature between Abiotrophia defectiva endocarditis and the hemophagocytic syndrome. There are multiple important clinical points of information that must be highlighted from this case. A.

Laparoscopic colectomy is cheaper than conventional open resection.

Objective: International randomized trials have endorsed the routine use of laparoscopic techniques in colorectal surgery. The authors hypothesize that the overall care pathway in minimal access resection was cheaper than conventional open resection.

Method: This was a case-matched study of consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic resection between July 2005 and February 2006.

An unusual case of elevated liver enzymes (2006: 10b). Hepatic necrosis following HELLP syndrome.

HELLP syndrome is a form of severe pre-eclampsia with multisystem involvement. Laboratory markers include haemolysis (H), elevated liver enzymes (EL), and low platelets (LP). We present a patient to our institution with HELLP syndrome complicated by liver necrosis.