Finger whitlows

A whitlow, also known as a felon, is a closed space infection of the distal finger pulp (Franko and Abrams, 2013), commonly presenting as redness, tenderness and swelling (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2016). McDonald et al (2011) state that the most common cause of infection to the hand area is Staphylococcus aureus, and causes up to 80% of staphylococcal whitlows (NICE, 2016). Whitlows can also be caused by the herpes virus and are known as herpetic whitlows, with symptoms also including blistering (NHS, 2017). No UK data are available, but data from America suggest that staphylococcal whitlow (including paronychia), accounts for a third of hand infections, while the prevalence of herpetic whitlow is 2.4 per 100 000 annually (NICE, 2017)

Comparison of governance approaches for the control of antimicrobial resistance: Analysis of three European countries

Policy makers and governments are calling for coordination to address the crisis emerging from the ineffectiveness of current antibiotics and stagnated pipe-line of new ones – antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Wider contextual drivers and mechanisms are contributing to shifts in governance strategies in health care, but are national health system approaches aligned with strategies required to tackle antimicrobial resistance? This article provides an analysis of governance approaches within healthcare systems including: priority setting, performance monitoring and accountability for AMR prevention in three European countries: England, France and Germany. Advantages and unresolved issues from these different experiences are reported, concluding that mechanisms are needed to support partnerships between healthcare professionals and patients with democratized decision-making and accountability via collaboration. But along with this multi-stakeholder approach to governance, a balance between regulation and persuasion is needed

Mobile apps for orthopedic surgeons: how useful are they?

Orrin I Franko,1 John P Andrawis,2 Dayne T Mickelson31Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA; 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA; 3Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USAAbstract: Smartphone apps have become an integral part of medical training and practice in the hospital and clinical setting. However, to ensure the safety of patient care, it remains imperative that physicians and physician-educators alike continue to monitor and recognize the strengths and limitations of these powerful tools. Orthopaedic surgeons have widely adopted the use of smartphones and tablets and consequently, a number of resources have emerged to assist orthopaedic trainees and providers in discovering and assessing the most appropriate apps for their practice. The purpose of this review article is to advise readers on how best to identify apps for orthopaedic surgeons, summarize the most popular and useful existing apps, present the current available data to support their use, and provide recommendations to the orthopaedic community regarding safe and responsible mobile technology use in clinical practice.Keywords: smartphone, tablet, mobile, app