Subject(s)
Breast , Foreign Bodies/diagnostic imaging , Mammography/instrumentation , Female , Humans , Middle AgedABSTRACT
The National Breast Screening Programme is an ongoing public health programme. Women between 50 and 64 years are being invited to attend for screening at three yearly intervals. The results of the first 5,000 women screened in the Eastern Health and Social Services Board's unit are presented. The breast cancer detection rate was 7.8 per thousand women screened. The malignant to benign biopsy rate was greater than 1:1.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control , Mass Screening/standards , Aged , Biopsy, Needle/standards , Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Mammography/standards , Mass Screening/methods , Middle Aged , Northern Ireland/epidemiology , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
An investigation of staphylococcal transmission between patients undergoing routine abdominal ultrasound procedures was carried out to assess the potential risks of cross-infection. In 13% of procedures the probe was found to be colonized with Staphylococcus aureus. Four of 19 patients were shown to have colonized the probe directly. Two patients were shown to have become colonized as a result of the procedure and some evidence is presented of possible interpatient cross-colonization. It is suggested that this is an underestimation of the potential of cross-infection and simple inexpensive infection control procedures are suggested.
