Research

Asbestos-related cancers are claiming 2,500 lives a year despite expert predictions the death toll would peak several years ago. And a leading asbestos lawyer warns an increasing number of “blue collar” workers, such as teachers, nurses and office staff, are becoming victims. The disturbing trend is revealed ahead of the 20th anniversary of the banning of asbestos in Britain next weekend. The move also put a duty on the owners of non-domestic properties, such as schools and hospitals, to manage asbestos within…

Essentially all patients living with type 1 diabetes experience "diabetes burnout" at some time or other. What is diabetes burnout, what factors contribute to the problem, and what can patients and nurses do about it? Those questions are addressed in a descriptive study in the December issue of the American Journal of Nursing. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. Diabetes burnout occurs when patients experience exhaustion and detachment, leading to a sense of powerlessness and apathy…

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a tough treatment course to navigate. If anyone knows that, it is Anne S. Tsao, MD. of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Tsao is no doubt one of the world's experts on MPM, having been "called" by the disease – one that is very rare and that generally occurs in older men (most often because of asbestos exposure) with comorbidities. Tsao told the West Wind Podcast that she was intrigued by MPM early in her career because "it was so different than . I just started doing some…

A recent trial of a humanised monoclonal antibody has shown potential in the preventative treatment of migraines in chronic migraine sufferers. It is hoped that the drug can be used to treat the notoriously debilitating Cluster headaches. Fremanezumab is in the class of drugs that block the CGRP pathway. Other drugs with this mechanism of action already on the market include Eptinezumab, Erenumab and Galcanezumab. The new treatment centres around the use of a humanised monoclonal antibody known as Frumenezumab to target…

The Cytokine Cascade or cytokine storm is a relatively recently described autoimmune response in which the body's immune system gets caught in a positive feedback loop leading to a runaway and potentially fatal autoimmune response. A cytokine cascade can be particularly troublesome treat as it is the normal response of a healthy immune system, and so treatment usually focusses on the active interference of the immune processes rather than treatment of the underlying infection. Cytokine cascades have been implicated in…

An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of the abdominal contents through the inguinal canal, often into the groin or scrotum. They are a very common problem and patients may complain of pain or discomfort when coughing, exercising or during bowel movements. Inguinal hernias are so common, they are often one of the first surgical procedures postgraduate surgical residents are trained in​​. The protrusion may not be visible, particularly in overweight patients, however, a bulging area may occur in the area of the hernia, and may…

A recent article released in the Journal of Clinical Nursing has revealed the healthcare industry to be potentially the most violent industry to work in. The study surveyed 365 doctors and nurses working in the emergency department which revealed that within the past 12 months, 76.2% of the participants experienced violence in the workplace, although the vast majority (88.8%) was not physical, but verbal abuse. The study also revealed that it was not necessarily the patients that are the source of violence directed at…

Yesterday was certainly an interesting day. I only had one class, Bioscience, but it was an incredible experience nonetheless. I should warn any of you that are a little squeamish; you might want to skip over this one. I started out on Tuesday night not feeling all too well and contemplating not attending the practical class the next day, but only due to a quiz at the end of the class worth a mere 3% (I know it's not much but every mark is a good mark, right?) I decided it would be best for me to attend. It turned out to…