Pioneering new knee surgery technique
From the Health Service Journal: “Surgeons in Southampton have pioneered an operation to repair damaged knees without the need for a total replacement – halving recovery times.”
The press release from University Hospitals Southampton Trust continues: “The technique, known as bicompartmental knee resurfacing, involves replacing only the areas of cartilage affected by arthritis and avoids removal of the ligaments – enabling more natural movement immediately after surgery.
“More than 70,000 knee replacements are carried out in England and Wales each year and, while the majority of patients are over 65, the biggest increase has been among those in their 40s and 50s.
“Traditional replacement surgery to treat arthritis, which develops in the knee when cartilage protecting the end of the thigh and shin bones wears out, requires a large incision, removal of all four ligaments and full replacement of the joint regardless of the extent of damage.
“However, using resurfacing, only the ligament on the inside of the knee and the kneecap are affected when a surgeon removes sections of damaged cartilage and replaces it with plastic or alloy metal implants.
“The procedure, which is performed under general anaesthetic and takes around an hour, sees patients leave hospital after three days – less than half the time it takes after total replacement – without crutches, which would be required for up to six weeks following full surgery.”
To read the full press-release, click here. The Health Service Journal is not currently available online to OUH NHS staff, but both the NOC and Horton library sites currently take the journal in print. You can read further comment from the Independent newspaper here.
Learning at Work Day Quiz!
Thursday 17th May is Learning at Work Day – an event designed to inspire you to become a better learner, develop your talents and familiarise yourself with new information.
We at the OUH NHS library service have devised a short, light-hearted quiz for you to test your information search skills.
You can download the Learning at work Day quiz here; have a go and return the completed quiz to your library – the best effort will win a delicious edible prize!
Launch of new ‘Health Equalities’ Magazine
The BHA has recently launched a new healthcare magazine, Health Equalities, designed to “not only look at areas where inequality exists, but to point to solutions”.
The magazine is freely available online by clicking here.
The new magazine is anxious to receive any feedback from readers about their featured articles and to accept any suggestions; a feedback form can be downloaded here.
NICE recommends Pradaxa drug for stroke / AF patients
The UK drug watchdog the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended recently “the drug dabigatran (Pradaxa) as an alternative to warfarin in order to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots,” according to their website.
“Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition affecting the heart causing it to beat irregularly, and occasionally, too fast. When this happens the heart cannot efficiently pump blood around the body.
People with AF are at higher risk of developing blood clots and subsequent stroke. The risk of stroke can be reduced substantially through anticoagulants such as warfarin.
Warfarin has been a routine medication for preventing strokes. But it is inconvenient for some patients because careful monitoring and regular blood tests are needed to prevent excessive bleeding from cuts or stomach ulcers, requiring frequent clinic visits.
Dabigatran is the first new treatment in 50 years to be approved for the prevention of stroke in patients with AF.”
You can read the full news item from NICE here, commentary from the Daily Telegraph here and some further information of interest here from The Pharma Letter and here from the Pharma Times.
Online access to JBJS (USA)
Following a period of uncertainty, the NOC library has managed to secure online access to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American version) for all NOC staff members.
You can either click through to the journal from this page at NHS Evidence (having signed in to a NOC-affiliated Athens account), or go straight to the JBJS website.
Either way, when at the JBJS website, you’ll be able to gain full-text access to the journal, 1996-present, using our new username and password, which you can see at this page at NHS Evidence when you search for the journal’s title.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the library.
New book in library : Rockwood’s The Shoulder
One of the classic books of its kind and a leading textbook in the field, the NOC library has recently re-purchased the latest 4th edition (2009) of Rockwood’s The Shoulder.
The book will be available for consultation in the reference section of the library, and can be borrowed from the library for up to 48 hours at the discretion of the library manager.
The book is also freely available online; please contact library staff for details.
Metal-on-metal no cancer risk
A study in the BMJ by researchers in Bristol and Exeter suggests that metal-on-metal hip replacement patients are no more at risk of developing cancer in the first 7 years following surgery.
The data for this study, based on the National Joint Registry of England and Wales, covered 40,576 patients with metal-on-metal hip implants and 248,995 who had other types.
The study found no evidence of an increased risk of any type of cancer in the patients. However, the researchers acknowledged that longer-term follow-up is needed.”As some cancers have a long latency period it is important that we study the longer-term outcomes and continue to investigate the effects of exposure to orthopaedic metals”.
metal-metal-hip-replacement-patients-no-more-risk-developing-cancer-seven-
Better integrated care could save the NHS millions
Involving more Allied Health Professionals in patient care could help save the NHS millions and provide better care. The SHA AHP leads for England have compiled a new series of online tools that will help the NHS identify how therapists can intervene at different stages of a patient’s condition to improve patient care whilst saving on costs.
Physiotherapists, dietitians, podiatrists, speech and language therapists and other AHP’s can have a dramatic impact on care for people with diabetes, cancer, musculoskeletal problems and stroke survivors. Using podiatrists to help treat patients with diabetes can lead to a drop in foot ulcers – a serious complication for diabetics – and distressing foot amputations. There are almost 5,000 leg, foot or toe amputations in England every year – each one costs the NHS around £65,000. Investing in providing integrated foot care and bringing this number down could save the NHS almost £300 million.
By working together as a team, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and dietitians can help stroke survivors regain independence faster and leave hospital and go home sooner. This could save the NHS over £7 million every year.
Bone and Joint – all you need in 60 minutes
A new bi-monthly journal Bone and Joint 360 from JBJS (British volume) is published.
It is aimed at all orthopaedic specialists, irrespective of sub-speciality and includes a sub-speciality round-up as well as topical articles and an editorial.
There are 2 print copies of the first issue osteoarthritis in the library and the April version can be viewed online here www.boneandjoint.org.uk
If you think the library should subscribe to this then please contact us and let us know.
Download NICE guidelines on free app
This new app, NICE Guidance, gives healthcare professionals access to its recommendations and guidance. It includes more than 760 guidelines including hypertension and stroke.
The app works on Android Smartphones, Apple iPhones and iPod touches running iOS 4.3 and above. Please download the app from Apple’s iStore or your Smartphone provider.
