SUMMARYAn outbreak of gastroenteritis followed a meal in a large hotel during which one of the diners vomited. The clinical features of the illness suggested Norwalk-like virus (NLV, small round structured virus) infection, and this was confirmed by electron microscopy and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of stool samples. Further characterization of the virus by nucleotide sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons revealed identical strains in all the affected individuals. The foods served at the meal could not be demonstrated to be the cause of the outbreak. Analysis of attack rates by dining table showed an inverse relationship with the distance from the person who vomited. No one eating in a separate restaurant reported illness. Transmission from person-to-person or direct contamination of food seems unlikely in this outbreak. However, the findings are consistent with airborne spread of NLV with infection by inhalation with subsequent ingestion of virus particles.
Having established the top ten unanswered research questions in EC, we hope this galvanises researchers, healthcare professionals and the public to collaborate, coordinate and invest in research to improve the lives of women affected by EC.
Men in the UK and across Europe have worse health than women and are more likely to die prematurely. In this article, experts highlight the absence of men from health policy agendas and call for nurses to recognise men's vulnerability and meet their needs proactively.
Clinicians are often not consulted about the information technology systems they use. This is set to change with the introduction of chief clinical information officers. The first nurse in the role is making sure that IT meets front line needs.
Innovative use of information technology is improving patient outcomes and making nurses' working lives easier. Nurses at a Birmingham trust are using handheld computers to record vital observations and give early warning to senior clinicians if a patient is deteriorating. The system reflects a trend for healthcare technology based around the needs of clinicians and patients.
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