Anaesthesia for emergency caesarean section in a patient with large anterior mediastinal tumour presenting as intrathoracic airway compression and superior vena cava obstruction

Anterior mediastinal mass is an uncommon pathology that presents significant anaesthetic challenges because of cardiopulmonary compromise. We present a case that presented in the third trimester of pregnancy with severe breathlessness, orthopnoea, and symptoms of superior vena cava obstruction. The patient had emergency Caesarean section under epidural anaesthesia with a good outcome. The paper discusses the relevant perioperative considerations for this complex scenario and reviews reports of similar conditions.published_or_final_versio

Are lay people good at recognising the symptoms of schizophrenia?

©2013 Erritty, Wydell. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the general public’s perception of schizophrenia symptoms and the need to seekhelp for symptoms. The recognition (or ‘labelling’) of schizophrenia symptoms, help-seeking behaviours and public awareness of schizophrenia have been suggested as potentially important factors relating to untreated psychosis. Method: Participants were asked to rate to what extent they believe vignettes describing classic symptoms (positive and negative) of schizophrenia indicate mental illness. They were also asked if the individuals depicted in the vignettes required help or treatment and asked to suggest what kind of help or treatment. Results: Only three positive symptoms (i.e., Hallucinatory behaviour, Unusual thought content and Suspiciousness) of schizophrenia were reasonably well perceived (above 70%) as indicating mental illness more than the other positive or negative symptoms. Even when the participants recognised that the symptoms indicated mental illness, not everyone recommended professional help. Conclusion: There may be a need to improve public awareness of schizophrenia and psychosis symptoms, particularly regarding an awareness of the importance of early intervention for psychosis

Pathway to care for patients with first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong

Objective: To describe the pathway to care for patients with first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong. Patients and Methods: Thirty five consecutive patients attending the Early Assessment Service for Young People with First-episode Psychosis at Queen Mary Hospital were recruited. All patients were systematically interviewed about the issues relating to the help-seeking pathway before receiving treatment. Results: A longer duration of untreated psychosis was associated with more clinical symptomatology than a shorter duration of untreated psychosis. A significant proportion of patients accessed the early assessment service directly. The most frequently reported first contact was a primary care physician or a social worker. Conclusion: This exploratory study underlines the importance of engaging patients with first-episode psychosis and their relatives with primary care physicians and/or social workers for early intervention. © 2005 Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Pathway to care for patients with first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong

Objective: To describe the pathway to care for patients with first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong. Patients and Methods: Thirty five consecutive patients attending the Early Assessment Service for Young People with First-episode Psychosis at Queen Mary Hospital were recruited. All patients were systematically interviewed about the issues relating to the help-seeking pathway before receiving treatment. Results: A longer duration of untreated psychosis was associated with more clinical symptomatology than a shorter duration of untreated psychosis. A significant proportion of patients accessed the early assessment service directly. The most frequently reported first contact was a primary care physician or a social worker. Conclusion: This exploratory study underlines the importance of engaging patients with first-episode psychosis and their relatives with primary care physicians and/or social workers for early intervention. © 2005 Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists.link_to_subscribed_fulltex