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Audit Period (audit + period)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Audit of time taken to heal diabetic foot ulcers

PRACTICAL DIABETES INTERNATIONAL (INCORPORATING CARDIABETES), Issue 1 2001
DPodM, Linda Robertshaw BSc (Hons), SRCh Senior I Podiatrist
Abstract Since the Newcastle Diabetes Centre opened in 1997, the three podiatrists working in the centre have established specialised ulcer clinics to see patients with foot ulcers at least twice per week. As this was a new service, a baseline audit was proposed to provide a level with which to compare future developments. The standard was set at 80% of diabetic foot ulcers to be healed within six months of referral to the podiatry team. All patients with diabetes presenting at the Podiatry Department, Newcastle Diabetes Centre, with a new foot ulcer during the period from 1 December 1997 to 31 May 1998 were entered into the audit. The ulcers were then monitored for up to six months until the end of the audit period on 30 November 1998. The result was that 85% of diabetic foot ulcers healed within six months, which exceeds the standard set at 80%. The average time taken to heal diabetic foot ulcers was eight weeks. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF BREAST CANCER IN A SMALL PERIPHERAL NEW ZEALAND HOSPITAL

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 12 2006
Don Wai Gin Lee
Background: Peripheral hospitals are perceived to be at a disadvantage in providing treatment for breast cancer, especially with regard to breast conservative surgery (BCS) because of the requirement of adjuvant radiotherapy. Wairau Hospital is a 100-bed peripheral hospital in New Zealand with no on-site radiotherapy unit. Methods: A retrospective audit of the surgical management of breast cancer between 1998 and 2002 was carried out. Results: One hundred and fifty-seven presentations during the audit period. Despite the lack of tertiary resources, we report an overall BCS rate of 58.6%, consistent with the appropriate New Zealand guidelines. Of screen-detected cancers, 81.6% underwent BCS. Only five patients requested mastectomy and of those undergoing BCS, five patients refused subsequent adjuvant radiotherapy. This was because of frailty from age and comorbidities and the inconvenience of travel. Conclusion: High rates of BCS are possible in peripheral hospitals. We postulate that intensive support and a visiting outpatient oncological service help empower patients to seek BCS if appropriate. A strong partnership between surgical, radiological and oncological services is also vital. [source]

Outpatient hysteroscopy: Factors influencing post-procedure acceptability in patients attending a tertiary referral centre

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Kate MCILWAINE
Background:, Ambulatory hysteroscopy is a safe, reliable and cost-effective alternative to hysteroscopy under a general anaesthetic for the diagnosis of abnormal uterine bleeding. Aim:, The objective of this study was to assess which factors influenced patients' willingness to attend for future outpatient hysteroscopy. The outpatient hysteroscopy service commenced at the Mercy Hospital for Women in 2000. It provides women with the opportunity to have the cause of abnormal uterine bleeding diagnosed in an outpatient setting. Methods:, A prospective audit was conducted of 283 women attending for outpatient hysteroscopy at the Mercy Hospital for Women over a period of almost five years (May 2003 through February 2008). Results:, Of the women audited, 88.7% stated that they would accept the procedure in future, whilst 11.3% would not. There was a significant difference between the two groups with respect to their median visual analogue pain scale (VAS) pain scores during the procedure (3.00 versus 6.50 P < 0.0001) with the higher score in the group who would not re-attend for the procedure. There was also a significant difference between the two groups with respect to the change in median VAS score from pain anticipated to pain experienced (0.00 versus 3.50 P = 0.0001). The rate of unsuccessful procedures was significantly higher (40.6% versus 0.8%P < 0.05) in future non-attendees as well as a higher rate of clinical vasovagal episodes (25% versus 5.2%P = 0.01) in women who stated that they would not re-attend for the procedure. Preprocedure analgesia and type of anaesthetic administered during the procedure did not seem to influence whether women would attend for outpatient hysteroscopy in future. Conclusions:, The acceptability rate for women attending for outpatient hysteroscopy during the audit period was 88.7%. Pain was a significant determinant of procedure acceptability; however, the acceptability rate was not influenced by analgesia or type of anaesthetic administered. [source]

Seasonal variation in emergency referrals to a Surgical Assessment Unit

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009
S. T. Ward
Summary Objectives:, To identify any seasonal variation in the pattern of referrals to the Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU). Methods:, Admission data to the SAU were collected prospectively during two audit periods of 13 weeks each (winter 2004/2005 and summer 2005). The data were analysed comparing numbers of admissions over the two audit periods and variations in the presenting complaint. Results:, There were a significantly greater number of referrals to the SAU in the summer compared with winter (999 vs. 849, p = 0.026). Whilst there were no significant differences in the sex distribution of patients presenting with general surgical symptoms, a significantly greater proportion of male patients presented with urological symptoms. Additionally, a significantly greater proportion of patients presented in the summer with scrotal/testicular symptoms compared with the winter (13.9% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.02). There was no significant difference between the two periods in terms of other diagnoses. In both study periods, the SAU was busy during weekdays compared with weekends. Whilst most patients arrived in the SAU between 9 am and midnight a smaller but not insignificant number arrived outside of these hours. Conclusions:, Summer compared with winter was a busy period for the SAU. This may be important in managing emergency surgical admissions. A significantly greater proportion of patients presented with scrotal/testicular symptoms during the summer, the reasons for which are unclear. The SAU diverts workload away from busy Accident & Emergency departments. [source]