Located at 616.804231 HIC
Located at 617.0231 LEW
Located at 617.919 HAT
Monday 31 March 2014
Friday 28 March 2014
Less asthma in children since smoking ban
International smoking bans, including
the one in Ireland, have led to sharp falls in the numbers of children going to
hospital with asthma attacks and the number of babies born before full term.
The review of 11 studies carried out in
North America and Europe, including a 2013 study in Ireland, published in the Lancet today, (view abstract here) shows that the numbers of both
fell by a tenth within 12 months of the bans being introduced.
Meanwhile, the number of children born
before full term who are smaller than they should be given the stage at which
they are born has declined by 5 per cent, said Dr Jasper Been of the Maastricht University Medical Centre.
An Irish study in 2012 found
the smoking rates of mothers fell by 12 per cent in the year after the smoking
ban was introduced a decade ago. It also reported that pre-term birth risks had fallen by a
quarter.
Queens University Belfast in breast cancer discovery
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have made
an important discovery that could reduce or eliminate the need for women at
high risk of cancer to undergo radical surgery. The work also shows that it
should be possible for these women to have children without increasing their
risk of cancer.
About one in 1,000 women carries the genetic mutation known as BRCA1 that results in an 85 per cent higher
risk of breast cancer and up to a 40 per cent risk of ovarian cancer. For this
reason many women with the mutation decide to undergo surgery to remove their
breasts and ovaries rather than risk cancer.
Such radical surgery may become obsolete following
four years of work by scientists in Queens’ centre for cancer research and cell
biology. They discovered how the mutation causes the genetic damage in breast
and ovarian tissues that can lead to cancer, and publish their findings this morning in Cancer Research .
The work gives considerable hope to women with the
mutation because there are known drugs already approved for human use that can
lower the risk of cancer, the scientists said. The researchers are working to
get a human trial under way within the next 12 months.
The scientists, led by Dr Kienan Savage of Queen’s,
found high levels of the hormone oestrogen were causing damage in breast and
ovarian tissues, leading to cancers. They discovered that the normal BRCA1 gene
protects against cancer by controlling oestrogen breakdown products, clearing
them away. But if a woman has the mutated gene the clear out doesn’t happen,
leading to more damage and ultimately cancer.
Patients would receive drugs that turn off
oestrogen, but in turn causing the symptoms of menopause, Dr Savage said. But a
woman could go off the drug, have a child and go back on it afterwards.
Cystic Fibrosis - New Treatments
New treatments give hope to cystic fibrosis sufferers:
Laura Whelan reports on the fresh hope that double-lung transplants and a new drug called Kalydeco have brought to people living with the life-limiting condition. The 65 Roses National Awareness Week begins at the Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Galway this weekend.
The event coincides with the group's 65 Roses national awareness week which aims to raise awareness on lung transplantation and new drug therapies.
The two day conference will be addressed by a number of key speakers including Minister of State and Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon and GAA commentator Joe Brolly.
It takes place in the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill on Friday and Saturday.
Chairperson of Cystic Fibrosis Galway Mary Lane Henehan says delegates will hear courageous stories from those who are coping with the disease.
The two day conference will be addressed by a number of key speakers including Minister of State and Galway East TD Ciaran Cannon and GAA commentator Joe Brolly.
It takes place in the Galway Bay Hotel in Salthill on Friday and Saturday.
Chairperson of Cystic Fibrosis Galway Mary Lane Henehan says delegates will hear courageous stories from those who are coping with the disease.
Cystic Fibrosis Cystic Fibrosis is Ireland's most common genetically inherited disease. With 1100+ CF Patients, Ireland has the highest proportion of CF people in the world.
CF Ireland was established by a small dedicated group of parents in 1963 with the first meeting in Crumlin Children's Hospital. 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the Association.
CF Ireland was established by a small dedicated group of parents in 1963 with the first meeting in Crumlin Children's Hospital. 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the Association.
Coeliac Research Paper:
This 1973 article from the BMJ was the forerunner of three decades of medical research which studied the high-incidence of coeliac disease in the west of Ireland.
The majority of those research papers were led by Fiona Stevens who was a Staff member of NUI Galway for more than three decades and was a native of Yorkshire in the UK.
British Medical Journal - Mar 24, 1973; 1(5855): 703–705
The majority of those research papers were led by Fiona Stevens who was a Staff member of NUI Galway for more than three decades and was a native of Yorkshire in the UK.
British Medical Journal - Mar 24, 1973; 1(5855): 703–705
During an 11-year period the incidence of coeliac disease presenting in children in the West of Ireland has been found to be 1 in 597. When allowance is made for presentation of the disease in adult life the incidence may be as high as 1 in 303.
These figures are much higher than those reported for Britain.
These figures are much higher than those reported for Britain.
Musical Therapy which supports speech
Munster hooker, Damien Varley has backed an innovative App, which uses music and signs to help children with an intellectual disability find their own voice.
The burly scrum specialist — a classically trained musician who sang on a charity CD last year — took time out of a hectic training schedule to help launch the Cope Foundation’s Sign-along Songs App in Cork.
“It’s a really positive initiative,” he said.“The concept is about ‘total communication’ — a whole body engagement using hands, eyes, voice, music, signing, and language.
The app was developed over the last year by language and music therapists in response to a lack of Irish resources for parents and children.
The iPad app uses music and signs to help children under eight with intellectual disability develop their vocabulary. It includes five original songs and nursery rhymes that target specific and sometimes challenging vocabulary and signs.
While it is aimed primarily at children with an intellectual disability, those involved in its development say it can be used by all, and could help bring together children in pre-school or early primary school settings.
Read more here - Irish Examiner
The burly scrum specialist — a classically trained musician who sang on a charity CD last year — took time out of a hectic training schedule to help launch the Cope Foundation’s Sign-along Songs App in Cork.
“It’s a really positive initiative,” he said.“The concept is about ‘total communication’ — a whole body engagement using hands, eyes, voice, music, signing, and language.
The iPad app uses music and signs to help children under eight with intellectual disability develop their vocabulary. It includes five original songs and nursery rhymes that target specific and sometimes challenging vocabulary and signs.
While it is aimed primarily at children with an intellectual disability, those involved in its development say it can be used by all, and could help bring together children in pre-school or early primary school settings.
Read more here - Irish Examiner
Thursday 27 March 2014
Role and Rules for Telemedicine
A recent editorial in the British Columbia Medical Journal:
Does Telemedicine Need Stricter Rules for Engagement?
BCMJ, Vol. 56, No. 2, March 2014
Until recently, with very few exceptions, MSP fee compensation for a patient service was contingent on a face-to-face patient visit, regardless of whether the visit was an efficient use of time for the patient or physician. Times have evolved and MSP (Medical Service Plan) will now compensate physicians for limited patient services delivered by telephone. In addition, it is possible to receive MSP compensation for virtual visits via telemedicine.
Telemedicine goes a step beyond the telephone—it is a combination of telecommunication and information technology, in varying degrees of sophistication, which allows for real-time voice and visual communication between the parties involved. At its most straightforward it involves contact through a service such as Skype or FaceTime, which should be compliant with the CMPA’s legal advice and the College’s standards regarding privacy and security. A more sophisticated type of real-time telemedicine captures vital signs and oxygen saturation and uses instruments such as otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, and electrocardiography monitors. Some of these instruments provide a magnified image with clarity that is better than in real life. Telemedicine technology may one day be able to transmit tactile response, making the virtual visit almost indistinguishable from a face-to-face visit; however, only the real-life visit will convey the personal interaction so valuable as a therapeutic tool and in the creation of a good physician-patient relationship.
The biggest challenges facing telemedicine today are not the gaps in technology but how telemedicine is applied. If telemedicine is allowed to flourish as a new form of medicine rather than as a tool that a physician chooses to optimize patient encounters, the risk is that it will become an industry in itself and lead to tele-walk-in clinics and prescription-refilling services. And depending on how remunerative it is, it could potentially draw physicians away from clinic or hospital-based work. Should we not learn from the example of walk-in clinics eroding the traditional primary care home?
In some circumstances telemedicine can provide a valuable medical service to communities with scarce physician resources, despite its diagnostic and treatment limitations. However, the question remains: How should telemedicine evolve in urban settings and how should it be funded? In my opinion, it is up to the primary care physician to determine how best to provide care in specific circumstances, be it face-to-face, by telephone, by telemedicine, or by e-mail. Telemedicine has tremendous potential value in enhancing comprehensive longitudinal care and should not result in more fragmented care. The implementation of this technology deserves a sophisticated utilization strategy. As for public funding, would it not be best for physician remuneration to be based on comprehensive patient care rather than on the modality used to service patients?
View PDF of article here
Does Telemedicine Need Stricter Rules for Engagement?
BCMJ, Vol. 56, No. 2, March 2014
Until recently, with very few exceptions, MSP fee compensation for a patient service was contingent on a face-to-face patient visit, regardless of whether the visit was an efficient use of time for the patient or physician. Times have evolved and MSP (Medical Service Plan) will now compensate physicians for limited patient services delivered by telephone. In addition, it is possible to receive MSP compensation for virtual visits via telemedicine.
Telemedicine goes a step beyond the telephone—it is a combination of telecommunication and information technology, in varying degrees of sophistication, which allows for real-time voice and visual communication between the parties involved. At its most straightforward it involves contact through a service such as Skype or FaceTime, which should be compliant with the CMPA’s legal advice and the College’s standards regarding privacy and security. A more sophisticated type of real-time telemedicine captures vital signs and oxygen saturation and uses instruments such as otoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, and electrocardiography monitors. Some of these instruments provide a magnified image with clarity that is better than in real life. Telemedicine technology may one day be able to transmit tactile response, making the virtual visit almost indistinguishable from a face-to-face visit; however, only the real-life visit will convey the personal interaction so valuable as a therapeutic tool and in the creation of a good physician-patient relationship.
The biggest challenges facing telemedicine today are not the gaps in technology but how telemedicine is applied. If telemedicine is allowed to flourish as a new form of medicine rather than as a tool that a physician chooses to optimize patient encounters, the risk is that it will become an industry in itself and lead to tele-walk-in clinics and prescription-refilling services. And depending on how remunerative it is, it could potentially draw physicians away from clinic or hospital-based work. Should we not learn from the example of walk-in clinics eroding the traditional primary care home?
In some circumstances telemedicine can provide a valuable medical service to communities with scarce physician resources, despite its diagnostic and treatment limitations. However, the question remains: How should telemedicine evolve in urban settings and how should it be funded? In my opinion, it is up to the primary care physician to determine how best to provide care in specific circumstances, be it face-to-face, by telephone, by telemedicine, or by e-mail. Telemedicine has tremendous potential value in enhancing comprehensive longitudinal care and should not result in more fragmented care. The implementation of this technology deserves a sophisticated utilization strategy. As for public funding, would it not be best for physician remuneration to be based on comprehensive patient care rather than on the modality used to service patients?
View PDF of article here
Recent additions to Nursing & Midwifery Collection
Located at 174 HUG
Located at 610.73 INT
Located at 618.392 BRO
Located at 610.730711 TEA
Wednesday 26 March 2014
Network of care improving outcomes for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease
A new approach to care is transforming the lives of
patients with Parkinson’s disease and has promise for other long term
conditions like COPD and rheumatoid arthritis, according to Dutch researchers
writing in the BMJ.
Evidence suggests it empowers patients, improves the
quality of care, shifts care away from institutions and into the community, and
lowers healthcare costs.
Parkinson’s disease is a common and disabling
neurodegenerative disorder. Most patients live with the disease for many years
and the burden on patients and carers is considerable.
ParkinsonNet
is a model where care is delivered by a network of specially trained
professionals who collaborate through a dedicated online platform to which
patients also have access. It was developed to tackle concerns of insufficient
training for health professionals and poor communication between them and their
patients.
Through
the platform, patients can find information about treatment options and the
trained professionals they need to help them. They are also given the option of
having consultations in their own homes through secure video links.
Since
its introduction in 2004, ParkinsonNet has now expanded to 66 regional networks
and almost 3000 trained experts from 15 different disciplines covering the
whole of the Netherlands.
Tuesday 25 March 2014
Osteoarthritis treatment breakthrough using stem cells at NUI Galway
Scientists at NUI Galway have achieved positive early stage results from a study looking at a possible treatment for osteoarthritis using stem cells.
Researchers at the Regenerative Medicine Institute said the results indicate that the treatment could be ready for use in patients within five years.
Osteoarthritis affects more than 400,000 people in Ireland, and 70 million across the EU. The disease causes the painful degeneration of cartilage in joints and is the most common form of arthritis.
The NUI Galway team are part of an EU funded project involving partners in seven countries, which is examining whether stem cell therapy can help treat osteoarthritis by regenerating joints.
The group is testing stem cells derived from fat, which is injected into joints.
Fat stem cells are considered a good alternative to bone-marrow derived stem cells, as they are available in large quantities and can be harvested using minimally invasive techniques.
The scientists, who are involved in the €10m EU funded ADIPOA project, have just completed first phase clinical trials which sought to determine how adipose or fat-derived stem cells injected into diseased joints can activate the regeneration of cartilage.
According to Scientific Director of the Regenerative Medicine Institute, Professor Frank Barry, if the treatment continues to show promise it could eventually lead to a cure for osteoarthritis.
Currently the only options for sufferers are joint replacement or life-long pain management.
Health and Medical Titles - JSTOR
JSTOR - Access to both Health and Medical titles:
Medicine and Allied Health:
Since its inception in 1995, JSTOR has become ubiquitous. The database, which became part of the academic services provider ITHAKA in 2009, is currently available in more than 7,000 institutions, and it’s easy to see why: JSTOR boasts a collection of more than 1,500 academic journals, books, and primary sources on the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Medicine and Allied Health:
Since its inception in 1995, JSTOR has become ubiquitous. The database, which became part of the academic services provider ITHAKA in 2009, is currently available in more than 7,000 institutions, and it’s easy to see why: JSTOR boasts a collection of more than 1,500 academic journals, books, and primary sources on the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Like JSTOR, ARTstor Digital Library was the brainchild of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which launched the product in 2001. Today, ARTstor is an independent not-for-profit with about 1.5 million digital images. Both databases are “classics worth owning,” says Lura Sanborn, reference librarian at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH. “In the ever-burgeoning offerings of digital products, it can be easy to forget those early, all-important, still essential groundbreakers,” continues Sanborn. “My library simply could not get by without JSTOR and ARTstor.
Also, JSTOR recently added ebooks with an optional DDA [demand-driven acquisition] program, and ARTstor recently launched Shared Shelf, an add-on option for higher education institutions needing/wishing for an SAAS [Software as a Service] product to upload/catalogue their own collections.”
Also, JSTOR recently added ebooks with an optional DDA [demand-driven acquisition] program, and ARTstor recently launched Shared Shelf, an add-on option for higher education institutions needing/wishing for an SAAS [Software as a Service] product to upload/catalogue their own collections.”
Crisis-hit ambulance service 'puts lives at risk'
A crisis in Ireland's national ambulance service means seriously ill patients are often not being reached within an acceptable time.
Up to seven out of 10 people in Ireland with life-threatening conditions are not getting the services of ambulance paramedics within internationally accepted normal response times, according to a 'Prime Time' investigation to be broadcast tonight.
Lives are regularly put at risk because of the service's inability to get to homes or accident scenes within target times, it will say.
Programme makers also claim that long delays caused by a lack of locally based ambulances are resulting in patients not getting the life-saving treatment on time.
These delays far exceed both national and international accepted norms.
In accordance with guidelines based on international standards, patients with life threatening emergencies should be treated by a first responder within eight minutes.
Monday 24 March 2014
HSE launches report on extent of harm caused by alcohol
One in four Irish people have
experienced problems because of someone else’s drinking, according to a new
report on the extent of harm caused in society by alcohol.
Alcohol’s Harm to Others in Ireland was
published by the HSE today. It examined alcohol harm to people other than the
drinker in three Irish settings – the general population, the workplace and
children and families.
The report
confirmed there is very significant harm associated with alcohol, extending far
beyond that experienced by the person drinking, in each of these settings. Women are more
likely to experience family problems while men are more likely to report
assaults due to other people’s drinking habits.
The overall rate
of reported harms in the Irish workforce was double that in comparison to the
Australian findings for each of the measures used.
Dr. StephanieO’Keeffe, National Director for Health and Wellbeing with the HSE said the
report had been commissioned in response to a growing recognition of alcohol
related harm.
“Significant
public health and safety concerns are raised by the harm caused to other
individuals and to wider society – where we see that a quarter of the
population has experienced harm due to another’s drinking,” she said.
Health Research Supports
Health research work is supported by various sections within the Library:
Getting started in Health Research, David Bowers is located at
610.72 BOW
How to Read a Paper (4th ed.) - Trisha Greenhalgh - 610.72 GRE
How to Write a Paper (4th ed,) - G M Hall - 808.06661 HOW
Getting started in Health Research, David Bowers is located at
610.72 BOW
How to Read a Paper (4th ed.) - Trisha Greenhalgh - 610.72 GRE
How to Write a Paper (4th ed,) - G M Hall - 808.06661 HOW
Call for smoking ban in cars carrying children
It also wants all publicly funded institutions, especially hospitals and academic campuses, to be completely smoke free.
Doctors have made the call in a new policy statement to mark the tenth anniversary of the smoking ban.
The Irish Heart Foundation said that heart attacks have reduced by over 10% as a result of the ban.
The Irish Cancer Society claims that there has been a 25% reduction in the number of people smoking since the ban was introduced.
View news release here
View news release here
Friday 21 March 2014
Ireland has ‘exceptionally high rates’ of suicide
Ireland has exceptionally high rates of
suicide among young males and females but lacks a national strategy on
prevention, a Europe-wide report on injuries sustained by children as a result
of violence has found.
The report, ‘What are European countries doing to prevent intentional injury to children?’ launched today by the European Child Safety Alliance is
the first to comprehensively assess national strategies that address child
intentional injury across the EU. It examines child maltreatment, peer violence
and self-directed violence which are regarded as the three main areas of
violence against children.
The EuropeanChild Safety Alliance report found that despite the high suicide rate here,
Ireland does not have a national strategy for the prevention of suicide and
self-directed injury.
It also
highlights the absence of laws mandating reporting of suspected cases of child
maltreatment by professionals and the absence of laws prohibiting corporal
punishment in all settings.
The report found
that Ireland has the highest rate of suicide in young females
across Europe and the second highest rate of suicide in young males. At 5.12 male
deaths per 100,000 of children aged 0-19, Ireland had the second highest rate
of suicide across Europe. Lithuania had the highest incidence of male
suicide at 6.58 boys per 100,000. This compares to a EU 28 average of 2.39.
Ireland ranks fourth out of 30 countries for pancreatic cancer treatment
The Euro Pancreatic Cancer Index (EPCI), published by the Sweden-based research organisation Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP), covers 30 indicators, including patient rights, information and accessibility to care, prevention, treatment outcomes, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and palliative care.
The Netherlands comes out top with 879 of a possible 1,000 points, followed by Denmark (872), France (812), Ireland (807) and the UK in fifth position (786). Bulgaria is the lowest rated country in the index at 470 points.
In spite of causing almost as many deaths as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer is neglected by most European healthcare systems, contends the EPCI. In four out of five countries, treatment outcomes data are not monitored and there are no agreed best practice protocols in place.
There are about 370 cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed annually in Ireland and it is the ninth most commonly diagnosed cancer here.
Ireland is one of few countries offering many of the necessary elements of relevant pancreatic cancer care, confirmed Dr Arne Bjornberg, head of HCP Index production
Ireland in top 10 for breast cancer death drop
Ireland has had the 10th highest reduction in mortality from breast cancer at all ages among 31 European countries since 1987, according to new figures.
Ireland has seen a 32% drop in breast cancer death rates over the past 33 years, according to research presented at the 9th European Breast Cancer Conference in Glasgow.
The conference was told there have been sustained decreases in breast cancer mortality in Europe since the late 1980s.
The biggest drop in death rates was recorded in England and Wales, at 41%, with the second biggest reduction recorded in Scotland, at 38%. Breast cancer mortality actually increased by 11% in Romania over the past three decades.
Ireland's breast cancer death rate in women under 50 has dropped by 50% since the late 1980s, the 10th highest drop among European countries.
Prof Phillipe Autier from the Internal Prevention Research Unit at Lyon, in France, told the conference that while the decrease in breast cancer deaths in 2010 were greatest in those countries with the highest mortality rates in the 1980s, there were notable exceptions.
He pointed out that France, which has a highly organised breast screening programme has the highest spend on cancer drugs in Europe, and is to the forefront in use of new treatments, has seen only a modest drop in its breast cancer deaths since the late 1980s.
The lowest level of breast cancer mortality reduction in Europe in women over 50 was seen in France, according to the research.
View more information here
Ireland has seen a 32% drop in breast cancer death rates over the past 33 years, according to research presented at the 9th European Breast Cancer Conference in Glasgow.
The conference was told there have been sustained decreases in breast cancer mortality in Europe since the late 1980s.
The biggest drop in death rates was recorded in England and Wales, at 41%, with the second biggest reduction recorded in Scotland, at 38%. Breast cancer mortality actually increased by 11% in Romania over the past three decades.
Ireland's breast cancer death rate in women under 50 has dropped by 50% since the late 1980s, the 10th highest drop among European countries.
Prof Phillipe Autier from the Internal Prevention Research Unit at Lyon, in France, told the conference that while the decrease in breast cancer deaths in 2010 were greatest in those countries with the highest mortality rates in the 1980s, there were notable exceptions.
He pointed out that France, which has a highly organised breast screening programme has the highest spend on cancer drugs in Europe, and is to the forefront in use of new treatments, has seen only a modest drop in its breast cancer deaths since the late 1980s.
The lowest level of breast cancer mortality reduction in Europe in women over 50 was seen in France, according to the research.
View more information here
Thursday 20 March 2014
What makes you happy on International Happiness Day
 |
| The UN says the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal |
Today is the International Day of Happiness with the UN saying the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal.
UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon said: "Happiness may have different meanings for different people.
"But we can all agree that it means working to end conflict, poverty and other unfortunate conditions in which so many of our fellow human beings live."
The event was initiated in 2012 as the UN recognised "the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings".
New method for early cancer diagnosis
Swedish researchers have developed a new method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer at a much earlier stage than currently possible, the University of Gothenburg has said.
The test detects the first signs of the deadly disease with 97% accuracy, which researchers hope will help improve the low survival rate among those diagnosed.
Only 5% of patients with pancreatic cancer survive more than five years after their diagnosis as tumours often develop unnoticed and spread to other organs before being detected.
"We are very hopeful that the method will enable more instances of early discovery of pancreatic cancer at a stage when the cancer can be treated or prevented," Karolina Jabbar, part of the research team at the Sahlgrenska Academy, said in a statement.
"Thanks to this analysis, we can see at what stage the cancer is.
The test works like a normal endoscopy, where a tube is placed inside a patient's mouth and then fed down into the stomach.
"The difference is that the tube takes ultra sound (images) so you can see the organ much better and then you can take off fluids," said Ms Jabbar.
The procedure is not only expected to help detect cancers early but also reduce the risk of unnecessary surgery.
Existing tumours can be tested with the method, with an accuracy rate of about 90%, making it easier to determine if a patient needs immediate surgery.
Wednesday 19 March 2014
St. Patrick's Day Science Medal Award:
St. Patrick's Day Science Medal Award:
An Irish cardiologist, Garret A Fitzgerald based in the USA has been awarded the inaugural Science Foundation Ireland St. Patrick's Day Science Medal in Washington DC by Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.
Fitzgerald's Recognition for Cardiac Research:
The research carried out by Dr. Garrett A Fitzgerald has previously been recognised by the international scientific community.
Dr. Fitzgerald's research is focused on the area of biomedical cardiovascular pharmacology and in particular the effects of pain medicines on cardiac systems. He was also played a pivotal role in the discoveries relating to the use of low-dose aspirin in preventing cardiac disease.
An Irish cardiologist, Garret A Fitzgerald based in the USA has been awarded the inaugural Science Foundation Ireland St. Patrick's Day Science Medal in Washington DC by Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.
Fitzgerald's Recognition for Cardiac Research:
The research carried out by Dr. Garrett A Fitzgerald has previously been recognised by the international scientific community.
Dr. Fitzgerald's research is focused on the area of biomedical cardiovascular pharmacology and in particular the effects of pain medicines on cardiac systems. He was also played a pivotal role in the discoveries relating to the use of low-dose aspirin in preventing cardiac disease.
Tuesday 18 March 2014
Medical Illustrated Colour Texts:
The library holds a variety of titles from the series - Illustrated Colour Texts.
Entering - Illustrated Colour Text - in the Library search box presents you with all the available titles which range from Allergy (616.97 ARS) through to Virology (579.2 VIR.
see 616.97 ARS
This Virology title is also available online as are a number of the other titles in this colour series -
Virology
see 579.2 VIR
Entering - Illustrated Colour Text - in the Library search box presents you with all the available titles which range from Allergy (616.97 ARS) through to Virology (579.2 VIR.
see 616.97 ARSThis Virology title is also available online as are a number of the other titles in this colour series -
Virology
see 579.2 VIR
Alcohol Awareness Week 31st March – 4th April 2014
This year’s theme is “Alcohol’s Harm to Others: When Their Drinking Becomes Your Problem!” specifically highlighting the following KEY areas:
- Family problems
- Assaults, Crime & Anti-social behaviour
- Passengers travelling with a driver under the influence of alcohol
- Workplace accidents and loss of productivity
It will also emphasise the importance of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, due to its potential to reduce these negative effects through its broad range of evidence-based policy measures.
National Alcohol Conference
The National Alcohol Conference is taking place as part of Alcohol Awareness Week 2014.
Date: Wednesday 2nd April 2014
Venue: National Conference Centre Dublin
Time: Half Day Conference 8.30am – 1:00pm
Venue: National Conference Centre Dublin
Time: Half Day Conference 8.30am – 1:00pm
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Robin Room: Director of the Centre for Alcohol and Policy Research at the University of
Melbourne and advisor to the World Health Organisation since 1975 – “Alcohol’s Harm to Others”.
Prof. Moira Plant: Director of the Alcohol and Health Research Unit and Professor of Alcohol Studies
at the University of the west of England - Bristol. Her specialist subject is “Women and Alcohol Related Harm”.
Dr. Helen Mc Monagle: Rehabilitation co-ordinator with the Alcohol Forum – “The impact of
Alcohol Related Brain Injury on the Family and Society”.
Melbourne and advisor to the World Health Organisation since 1975 – “Alcohol’s Harm to Others”.
Prof. Moira Plant: Director of the Alcohol and Health Research Unit and Professor of Alcohol Studies
at the University of the west of England - Bristol. Her specialist subject is “Women and Alcohol Related Harm”.
Dr. Helen Mc Monagle: Rehabilitation co-ordinator with the Alcohol Forum – “The impact of
Alcohol Related Brain Injury on the Family and Society”.
Dr. Michael Byrne: Head of Student Health Department, UCC- “University College Cork: Tackling
Alcohol Related Harm”
Alcohol Related Harm”
Contact details: Alcohol Forum, Unit B9, Enterprise Fund Business Park, Ballyraine; Letterkenny; Co Donegal. Tel: 074 9125596/8: Mobile: 087 0642816: Web: www.alcoholforum.org e-mail: info@alcoholforum.org
Friday 14 March 2014
Electronic Publishing Changing Academia
This month commemorates twenty five years of the launch of the world-wide-web.
This year Oxford university celebrates ten years of Oxford Scholarship Online (OSO).
www.oxfordscholarship.com
NUI Galway Library holds a variety of Oxford Handbooks, both in the Online and hard copy format:
The online version ranges from
Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine to
Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine
and two which receive regular usage: -
Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine:
This year Oxford university celebrates ten years of Oxford Scholarship Online (OSO).
www.oxfordscholarship.com
NUI Galway Library holds a variety of Oxford Handbooks, both in the Online and hard copy format:
The online version ranges from
Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine to
Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine
and two which receive regular usage: -
Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine:
Folk Medicine in Ireland
As we celebrate our National holiday, we take a glance at some former remedies and cures, some of which were practised in rural parts of Ireland until the 1950's.
Located at 615.88 LOG
Patrick Logan is the acknowledged authority in this subject and the library holds copies of his titles: Making The Cure (1972) and Irish Folk Medicine (2009).
Example of Folk Remedy - Patrick Logan:
"One such case which I studied nearly twenty-five years ago is of some interest. The patient, a lady, had her oedema treated by the official medical remedies of the seventeenth century. This consisted of reducing her intake of fluids and giving her what official medicine of the seventeenth century called cholagogues, as well as emetics and sweating. The purgatives given were croton oil, large doses of salts, jalap and scamony. The emetic given was mustard and, to add to her discomfort, she was sweated with blankets and hot water bottles during a hot summer."
Located at 615.88 LOGPatrick Logan is the acknowledged authority in this subject and the library holds copies of his titles: Making The Cure (1972) and Irish Folk Medicine (2009).
Example of Folk Remedy - Patrick Logan:
"One such case which I studied nearly twenty-five years ago is of some interest. The patient, a lady, had her oedema treated by the official medical remedies of the seventeenth century. This consisted of reducing her intake of fluids and giving her what official medicine of the seventeenth century called cholagogues, as well as emetics and sweating. The purgatives given were croton oil, large doses of salts, jalap and scamony. The emetic given was mustard and, to add to her discomfort, she was sweated with blankets and hot water bottles during a hot summer."
Thursday 13 March 2014
Eating disorders among boys increasing
New figures show a worrying increase in the overall prevalence of eating disorders in Ireland, a younger age at onset and a rising incidence in boys.
The most up-to-date, official figures on the incidence of eating disorders suggest that 200,000 Irish people are affected.
An audit carried out by the Nutrition and Dietetics Department at the Children’s University Hospital (CUH), Temple Street, has reported a 130 per cent increase in the number of patients admitted to the hospital with anorexia nervosa (AN) between 2005 and 2011. The study, published in the February edition of the Irish Medical Journal, also found that the average age of AN patients at presentation had decreased by six months compared to 2002, supporting the view that eating disorders are affecting children at a younger age than previously thought. In the Temple Street study, the average age at presentation was 13.5 years but the authors remarked that the mean age at onset of symptoms was six months prior to seeking treatment.
The study also supports a perceived increase in the prevalence of eating disorders among boys. Previous estimates suggested that 5 per cent of ED patients are male. In the Temple Street study, 30 per cent of patients admitted with AN were boys. While boys tended to present less underweight than their female counterparts, the timescale between onset of symptoms and presentation was greater in male patients.
Ms Marianne O’Reilly, Senior Paediatric Dietician at Temple Streeet and lead author on the study, said the study raises some issues of concern.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)