Mubariz (2018) "Breaking bad news and the importance of compassionate palliative care of the infant," Patient Experience Journal: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 5. Available at: https://pxjournal.org/journal/vol5/iss2/5Breaking bad news and the importance of compassionate palliative care of the infant Cover Page FootnoteWe would like to thank Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Amarillo for their support while writing this manuscript. The family of the patient allows for this publication. AbstractBad news to parents regarding their infant is information that negatively impacts the parent's feelings and view of the present and/or future. It is implemented in situations with feelings of no hope or those that induce a threat to a parent's mental and physical well-being. The term is difficult to define as it is based on parent's subjective feelings. However, it is important to be aware of the impact of bad news as it can cause severe anguish and stress on the parent's emotional stability. The style of delivering bad news has a significant impact on the physician/parent relationship and the satisfaction of the family upon the healthcare team and palliative care system. In the case of an inevitable death of an infant, the implementation of palliative care follows the delivery of bad news. The strategy of palliative care and the philosophy of communication between the healthcare provider and family unit leave a lasting impression on the parents regarding the care of their infant. Clinicians should strive to educate themselves regarding the art of breaking bad news as well as the approach to palliative care to minimize the suffering and grief of the family in their time of sorrow. KeywordsCompassionate palliative care, breaking bad news, SPIKES

Background and Aim: Healthcare workers are at risk of infections from blood-borne pathogens due to percutaneous injuries from sharps, mucous membrane and skin exposures to contaminated blood and bodily fluids. The study, therefore, investigated exposure to occupational-related blood and fluids infections, accidental injuries and precaution practices among health care workers in a tertiary hospital in South-West, Nigeria. Methods: The study utilised a cross-sectional research design requiring a structured questionnaire to elicit data from medical doctors, nurses and laboratory scientists/technologists. Through the convenience sampling technique, 266 respondents were selected for the study. Non-parametric descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data with the level of significance of the chi-square test put at 5%. Results: The overwhelming majority (76%) of the health care workers at the hospital are of the female gender. The study found that the majority of the respondents (92%) were trained on infection control in the course of their career while virtually all of them (98%) had never contracted an occupational-related infection. Recapping of used needles accounted for 24.4% of activity that predisposed the workers to accidental injuries. Also, there was a significant association between the recapping of needles and the occurrence of accidental injuries (P.V. = 0.000). Meanwhile, the incidence of unreported injuries stood at 70.3% as all the reasons given were significant (P.V. = 0.000) using a one-sample chi-square test. Conclusion: It has been established that prevention practices like training in infection control, adherence to clear work procedures and guidelines, post-exposure prophylaxis and use of personal protective equipment were associated with contraction of occupational-related infections. Moreover, while recapping of used needles was a usual practice in the hospital, it was, however, associated with cases of accidental injuries among most health care workers. Unfortunately, most cases of injuries were unreported due to certain significant reasons.

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A 33 year old female diagnosed with twin gestation, received adequate prenatal care and all prenatal screens were negative. She took synthroid and prenatal vitamins, denied smoking, drinking alcohol, or using illicit drugs Spontaneous preterm premature rupture of membranes for Twin A at 19 weeks, admitted to the hospital at 24 weeks. Received dexamethasone, ampicillin, and erythromycin; for the preterm premature rupture of membranes. Twin A's umbilical cord prolapsed at 24 2/7 weeks; emergency cesarean section was performed to deliver both babies. Twin A, expired shortly after birth secondary to respiratory distress. Twin B developed multiple clinical problems in the NICU, many of which required intervention. Twin B's parents were very supportive and understanding and were constantly involved in the child's care during NICU stay. The mother and father participated in the discharge planning education course and roomed-in with their baby for 2 days. Twin B lost weight initially and regained birth weight by the 7-8th day of life and remained above the 10th percentile for weight on the growth curve. Twin B was discharged from the NICU on day 109 at post conception age 39 weeks, weighed 2834 grams (10th percentile for corrected age), measured 49 cm length (50th percentile for corrected age), fronto-occipital circumference 34 cm (50th percentile for corrected age). The patient's care was transferred to the primary care pediatrician. As for our patient, he was dismissed from the NICU 9 years ago and was followed by the high-risk clinic associated with Texas Tech Pediatrics in Amarillo for 2 years after NICU dismissal. He continues to gain weight and is progressing well. His ophthalmologist follows his visual status as he has to wear glasses for visual acuity. His broncho pulmonary dysplasia has resolved. He continues to follow up with his primary care pediatrician.