Public Health

Current awareness updates

Avian influenza: guidance for managing human cases.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA); 2021.
[Information to assist with the management of possible and confirmed human cases of avian influenza.]

Heart valve disease presenting in adults: investigation and management.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers investigation and management of heart valve disease presenting in adults. It aims to improve quality of life and survival for people with heart valve disease through timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention.]

Acute heart failure: diagnosis and management.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE); 2021.
[This guideline covers diagnosing and managing acute heart failure or possible acute heart failure in people aged 18 and over. Heart failure may indicate acute myocardial injury in patients with COVID-19. See the recommendations in NICE COVID-19 rapid guideline on managing COVID-19. In November 2021, NICE withdrew the recommendations on valvular surgery and percutaneous intervention because they have been replaced by the NICE guideline on heart valve disease.]

Public health commissioning in the NHS: 2021 to 2022.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2021.
[Information about NHS England’s objectives and funding arrangements as it commissions public health services in the ongoing context of coronavirus (COVID-19).]

Cause for concern: Australian youth engaged with alcohol and other drug services are falling behind our community progress in reducing tobacco use.[Abstract]
Hallam KT. Early Intervention in Psychiatry 2021;15(6):1789-1792.
[Tobacco use is decreasing in the general youth population yet little evidence is tracking changes in young people who are engaged with youth alcohol and other drug (AOD) services that are often disengaged from school and work settings. Conclusion: The results highlight a need for the adoption of evidence-based tobacco early intervention programs in youth AOD services to address this significant health risk.]

Quality improvement project to decrease unnecessary investigations in infants with bronchiolitis in Cork University Hospital.[Abstract]
Jansen L. BMJ Open Quality 2021;10(4):DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001428.
[Conclusion: An evidence-based protocol improved physicians’ ability in diagnosing and managing infants with bronchiolitis. This led to a reduction in unnecessary and potential harmful investigations, thereby improving patient quality of care. This improvement will contribute to decreased healthcare cost and appropriate use of resources during the high-pressured winter period.]