A qualitative investigation assessing whether implementing a Teenage Young Adult information evening, within a radiotherapy department, would improve the information support and treatment pathway for 18-24-year-old cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the current information services provided to 10 Teenage Young Adult (TYA) oncology patients within a single radiotherapy department through retrospective patient views. Additionally, the participants provided valuable perspectives on the aptness and merit of implementing a dedicated information evening within the radiotherapy department. METHODS: Focus group sessions and open-ended questionnaires were used as the primary data collection tools for this study, producing rich and informative data. The transcriptions from the focus groups, along with the questionnaire responses were then analysed using coding techniques, resulting in 6 distinct themes. RESULTS: The participants felt they received adequate information about their radiotherapy treatment and its side effects. However, participants did report some gaps within the service provision that need to be addressed to improve treatment pathways in future. Furthermore, the information was always supplied in paper format which was often undesirable to the cohort with a more interactive format preferred. The participants disclosed very strong feelings of being different to "usual cancer patients" and displayed a desire for more opportunities to meet other TYA patients to be provided within their pathway. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The findings of this study suggest that the implementation of a dedicated TYA open evening would improve the information support and treatment pathway for 18-24-year-old cancer patients. The evening could offer a wanted opportunity where TYA patients could meet each other and additionally, treatment information and age appropriate support information could be provided in a different and more suitable format than current paper-based literature.

Urinary Bladder Catheterization of Female Mice and Rats.

Catheterization of the urinary bladder of rats and mice is necessary for a variety of clinical and experimental reasons. The anatomy of the female mouse and rat is unique in that the urinary orifice is external and just anterior to the vaginal opening. This characteristic makes the bladder of these species easier to catheterize than that of other species. Methods cited in the literature do not adequately describe techniques that facilitate ease of urinary bladder catheterization (1). We describe a simple technique for urinary catheterization in adult female mice and rats.

Nonspecific enhancement of host defenses against infection: experimental evidence of a new order of efficacy and safety.

Enhancement of nonspecific host defenses against bacterial challenge has been a long-standing goal often thwarted by variable efficacy, inconsistent bioassay, and paradoxic immunosuppression. Muramyl dipeptide provides enhanced survival after intravenous challenge with less than 8 x 10(3) Klebsiella, as well as improved local control of infection at sites of intramuscular bacterial injection, with and without a surgical foreign body. No depression of host response was seen over wide ranges of doses and intervals. Muramyl dipeptide provides a new order of efficacy and safety and warrants continued careful assessment.

Infection complicating cholecystectomy.

It is important to attempt clinical selection of patients who will benefit from antibiotic prophylaxis during biliary tract operations. Of equal importance is exclusion of patients in whom the risk of adverse effects outweigh the potential benefits. Using clinical criteria defined by Chetlin and Elliott, we have tested a method of defining these patients in our clinical setting. From the size of the sample in this prospective randomized study we can report trends as follows: 1) The incidence of postoperative infection was two times higher in the high-risk group. 2) The incidence of positive bile culture was greater in the high-risk group. 3) Prophylactic antibiotic treatment decreased the incidence of infection in both groups. 4) Radiographic status of the gallbladder is not correlated with subsequent positive bile cultures or incidence of infection. 5) Common duct exploration is associated with a significant increase in incidence of postoperative wound infection. The conclusions of this study substantiate the efficacy of incorporating clinical criteria to determine patients at high risk of developing wound infections.