Particulate matter (PM) is a class of air pollution covering everything in the atmosphere that isn’t a gas. This includes a huge range of chemical compounds and materials which air quality experts classify in terms of their particle size. What is PM10? Particulate matter containing particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or smaller. Examples […]
Global influenza levels have been low since 2020, but the UK government is predicting to see a resurgence in winter 2022 to 2023. Indeed, the UK could be facing its worse flu season in years. Southern hemisphere nations such as Australia have experienced rampant flu seasons, and experts warn the same may be in store […]
Many types of viral and bacterial infection are common in care homes and residential care settings. 3 Factors That Make Infections a Major Concern in Care Homes Infections can easily spread in any location where people share facilities. Elderly people and other care home residents are high-risk groups. If they catch an infection, they’re more […]
Severe fluid loss following injuries is a major issue for burns patients – particularly if their injuries are substantial. Most treatments for burns involve fluid resuscitation procedures – which is one reason why effective fluid management is central to the treatment of burns patients. Why Fluid Management Matters for Burns Patients Good fluid management in […]
Surgical smoke has a very unpleasant smell, and it can produce an immediate hazard for surgeons through obstructing their view of the surgical site. But the major risk associated with such procedures is that both diathermy and surgical smoke emissions can contain numerous toxic gases, particulates, viruses, bacteria and other harmful vapours. Surgical Smoke Causes […]
What is a Diathermy Smoke Plume? A diathermy smoke plume – also known as surgical smoke – is an emission created by certain surgical procedures that involve the use of heat to destruct tissue or seal bleeding vessels. Diathermy smoke plumes can contain numerous harmful chemicals, along with viruses, bacteria, and particulate matter. What Causes […]
Every year, the UK is hit by multiple viruses. Some of these are seasonal, including influenza A, influenza B, RSV, and rhinovirus. And of course, we must now live with Covid-19 alongside these common viruses. GP waiting rooms can inadvertently help spread infection. Patients may visit their GP about an unrelated condition, but leave having […]
In the past few years, thousands of dentists have left the NHS. How Many NHS Dentists Are There? According to one report, at the end of 2020 there were 23,733 dentists providing NHS care in England. By the end of January 2022, this figure had fallen to 21,544. As each dentist manages a caseload of […]
In March 2022, Scotland banned smoking outside hospital buildings. Smoking Ban Outside Hospital Rules in Scotland The new legislation aims to achieve the following: To introduce an enforceable smoke-free perimeter of 15 metres outside of hospital buildings. To support the denormalisation of smoking on hospital grounds. This, in turn, should help reduce tobacco use across […]
Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are two of the most recent subvariants of Covid-19 to be detected. These two subvariants were first detected in South Africa in the early months of 2022. Each variant appears to be an offshoot of the previous BA.2 variant. How Transmissible are Omicron BA.4 and BA.5? A virus’s basic reproduction number […]