Both the extended neck position and insertion of a supraglottic airway device increases the height of the cricothyroid membrane in females. A prospective observational study.

Background: Emergency Front of Neck access eFONA) via cricothyroidotomy using a size 6 internal diameter tracheal tube is recommended by the Difficult Airway Society in the event of a 'can't intubate, can't oxygenate' (CICO) scenario in adults. There is a lack of clear guidance on whether to retain or remove a previously inserted supraglottic airway device (SAD) before eFONA. We aimed to study the effect of both neck extension and insertion of an SAD on sagittal cricothyroid membrane (CTM) height.

The influence of electronic health record design on usability and medication safety: systematic review.

Background: The advantages of electronic health records (EHRs) are well-documented regarding the process of care, enhanced data accessibility and cost savings. However, EHR design can also contribute to usability challenges, with poorly designed EHRs being implicated in user errors including patient overdoses. Our study seeks to evaluate how EHR design influences both usability and medication safety.

Maternal thrombocytopenia is not predictive of neonatal thrombocytopenia: a single-center Irish study.

Background: Maternal thrombocytopenia during pregnancy is common. However, the relationship between maternal and neonatal thrombocytopenia is poorly understood.

Objectives: We aimed to determine whether an association exists between platelet counts of neonates born to mothers with moderate-to-severe thrombocytopenia (<100 × 10/L) and neonatal platelet counts.

Neonatal Outcomes following 2 Cases of Maternal CAR-T Therapy for High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma.

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-Ts) targeting CD19 represent a significant advance in treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies. Although a significant minority of recipients are women during their reproductive years, there is a paucity of data regarding pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in women previously treated with CAR-T. This is important as maternal T cells are known to cross the placenta and into breastmilk during pregnancy and breastfeeding, respectively.

Biomarker-Based Analysis of Pain in Patients with Tick-Borne Infections before and after Antibiotic Treatment.

Tick-borne illnesses (TBIs), especially those caused by Borrelia, are increasingly prevalent worldwide. These diseases progress through stages of initial localization, early spread, and late dissemination. The final stage often leads to post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) or chronic Lyme disease (CLD), characterized by persistent and non-specific multisystem symptoms affecting multiple systems, lasting over six months after antibiotic therapy.

The effect of the infusion connection point on intravenous multi-infusion drug delivery to premature neonates - Use of standard concentration infusions of critical medications.

Background: Sick neonates with haemodynamic instability often require complex medication regimens, which may result in the connection of a catecholamine infusion distally. This increases the dead volume of the infusion system, extending the time to medication delivery. This study evaluated the effects of body weight, and infusion connection point on the delivery rate of two medications infused through a multi-infusion system at infusion rates suitable for extremely and very low birth weight (ELBW and VLBW) neonates.

Enhancing long COVID care in general practice: A qualitative study.

Introduction: Research suggests that general practice can play an important role in managing long COVID. However, studies investigating the perspectives of general practitioners (GPs) and patients are lacking and knowledge regarding optimal long COVID care in general practice is therefore limited.

Aim: To investigate GPs' and patients' perspectives on the topic of long COVID and its management in general practice.

Anaesthetic management of a pregnant patient undergoing meningioma resection: A case report.

The management of intracranial malignancies in pregnancy poses unique challenges to the perioperative team. We describe the successful surgical management of a meningioma in a 28-year-old previously healthy patient, in her third trimester of pregnancy, who first presented with a generalised seizure. Without clear guidelines on the management of intracranial malignancies in pregnancy, a multidisciplinary approach was essential in providing a management plan for the patient's seizures and on the timing of her surgical intervention.

Gender and sex hormone effects on neonatal innate immune function.

Objectives: Scientific evidence provides a widened view of differences in immune response between male and female neonates. The X-chromosome codes for several genes important in the innate immune response and neonatal innate immune cells express receptors for, and are inhibited by, maternal sex hormones. We hypothesized that sex differences in innate immune responses may be present in the neonatal population which may contribute to the increased susceptibility of premature males to sepsis.

Total spinal anaesthesia following obstetric neuraxial blockade: a narrative review.

Background: Total spinal anaesthesia (TSA) is an emergency caused by high neuraxial blockade. It is a recognised complication of all neuraxial techniques in obstetric anaesthesia. Its incidence and outcomes have not been evaluated.

Scrutinizing Clinical Biomarkers in a Large Cohort of Patients with Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Borne Infections.

Standard clinical markers can improve tick-borne infection (TBI) diagnoses. We investigated immune and other clinical biomarkers in 110 patients clinically diagnosed with TBIs before (T0) and after antibiotic treatment (T2). At T0, both the initial observation group and patients without seroconversion for tick-borne pathogens exhibited notably low percentages and counts of CD3 percentage (CD3%), CD3+ cells, CD8+ suppressors, CD4 percentage (CD4%), and CD4+ helper cells, with the latter group showing reductions in CD3%, CD3+, and CD8+ counts in approximately 15-22% of cases.

Evaluation of the management of intestinal perforation in very low birth infants, a 10-year review.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess outcomes of peritoneal drainage and laparotomy in the management of intestinal perforation secondary to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation.

Methods: A retrospective review of all preterm infants (birthweight ≤1500 g) who underwent surgical intervention (peritoneal drainage and/or laparotomy) for intestinal perforation between March 2010 and March 2020.

Results: A total of 43 infants who underwent surgical intervention for intestinal perforation were included [19 (44%) with NEC and 24 (56%) with spontaneous intestinal perforation].

The effect of patient's body weight, infusion connection point, and infusion pump position on intravenous multi-infusion drug delivery at low infusion rates suitable for premature neonates.

Introduction: Parenteral drug administration in the neonatal intensive care involves complex pharmacotherapy adjusted for the patient's weight, fluid allowance, and complex multi-infusion systems.

Objectives: We investigated the delivery rate of a model drug through a multi-infusion system consisting of six intravenous infusions.

Methods: Delivery rate of the model drug was determined after infusion initiation and termination.

How well do we truly understand clitoral anatomy? An Irish maternity hospital's perspective.

Background: The clitoris has long been ignored in medical literature and teaching, with the first paper describing its anatomy only published in 1993. It is essential that those working in women's health understand the anatomy of this important female sexual organ.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge of the anatomy of the clitoris across five cohorts in a busy teaching maternity hospital in Ireland.

A Longitudinal Study of a Large Clinical Cohort of Patients with Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Co-Infections Treated with Combination Antibiotics.

The rising prevalence of tick-borne infections (TBIs) necessitates further attention. This study retrospectively investigated the types of TBIs, symptoms, and if combination antibiotics were helpful within a patient cohort at an infectious disease clinic in Ireland. In this chart audit of 301 individuals (184 female, 117 male) tested for TBIs, 140 (46.