Both treatments, for advanced melanoma, are designed to enable the immune system to recognise and target tumours. The findings were released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago. The experimental drugs, pembrolizumab and nivolumab, block the biological pathway cancers use to disguise themselves from the immune system. Advanced melanoma – skin cancer which has spread to other organs – has proved very hard to treat. Until a few years ago average survival was around six months.
Course of the Week – The Emergency First Aid at Work course (EFAW)
The Emergency First Aid at Work course (EFAW) is ideal for most businesses whose risk assessment has identified that there is no requirement for a fully trained first aider for their workplace. This course is available as a HABC qualification or as a ProTrainings CPD certified qualification, all courses are delivered, evaluated and quality assured to meet the new guidelines set out by the HSE in October 2013 and meet the requirements of the First Aid at Work (First Aid) regulations 1981
Blood pressure: ‘Extraordinary’ number of lives saved
Improved treatment of blood pressure has prevented hundreds of thousands of heart attacks, strokes and deaths in England, say doctors. The team at Imperial College London analysed national health survey data between 1994 and 2011. Their analysis, published in the Lancet medical journal, showed more people were being treated, and more effectively, than two decades ago. They said continuing improvements would save yet more lives. Their analysis showed that the number of people with high blood pressure who were getting treatment had nearly doubled from 32% in 1994 to 58% in 2011. At the same time, the proportion of …
Keep taking statins’ says drug body
People should continue to take statins because the benefits do outweigh the risks, according to fresh advice from the UK’s drug safety body. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has intervened due to the ongoing debate around the harms of taking statins. The drugs reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, lowering the risk of a heart attack or stroke. They are taken by about seven million people in the UK. The MHRA said statins prevented 450 heart attacks, strokes, or deaths for every 10,000 patients taking the drugs over five years.
FPOS Intermediate Course Date Set at Colchester
We are running a FPOS Intermediate course in our new offices in Colchester on 4th to 8th August. This course is ideal for anyone needing FPOS Intermediate, CFR’s. Security guards, Medics or anyone wanting to improve and apply their first aid skills. The course includes the use of Oxygen, AED, BVM, Spinal Boards, extraction and much more. The course is four days of training and then on the last day a practical exam and multiple choice exam.
Course of the week – Basic Life Support for Dentists
This course covers Basic Life Support skills and includes skills for adults, children and infants for dentists and people working in dental practices. The course includes: safety, precautions, initial assessment, recovery position, CPR, compression only CPR, CPR handover, choking, and basic oxygen use in an emergency. This course complies with the latest ERC and UK Resuscitation Council Guidelines. Included on this course are the skills of Epilepsy, Asthma and Anphylatic reactions. This course is available in classroom, online or blended options. We have a national network of instructors who can come to your workplace to deliver the training and to …
MRSA: Hospital superbug ‘shared with pets’
Pets can harbour the hospital superbug MRSA and it can pass between pets and their owners, research suggests. Cats and dogs have the same strain of the bacterium as people, genetic tests show. MRSA may spread between animals at veterinary clinics in a similar way to hospital infections, according to scientists at Cambridge University. But they say pet owners should not worry as there is very little risk of them getting ill from their pets. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is commonly carried on the skin of healthy people and humans, where it often causes no symptoms. However, it can lead to an …
Most patients ‘right to go to A&E’
Efforts to redirect patients away from busy A&E departments will not work, doctors have said – as a new study shows most need to be seen there. The College of Emergency Medicine review of more than 3,000 patients found only 15% could have been treated in the community. Last year NHS England suggested 25% could – and used that to justify a major shake-up of A&E units. The difference amounts to 1.4m patients, the college said. The college is not opposed to NHS England’s proposed creation of a two-tier system involving major and minor units.
Course of the week – Anaphylaxis
This course is aimed at anyone who requires a course in anaphylaxis awareness. The course covers the use of Epi-Pens, Emerade and Jext as well as recognition of signs, treatment, concerns and activating the EMS as well as care for the patient. We have a 100% classroom course for this and the certificate is valid for three years. To renew complete the same course again. When you have successfully completed the online or the classroom course, you will be issued a ProTrainings wall certificate and wallet card. Some of our online and classroom courses also include Anaphylaxis training and in …
Adrenaline Auto-injectors to be reviewed by the European Medicines Agency
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has started a review of adrenaline auto-injectors, which are used as first-aid treatment of anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) prior to calling for emergency medical assistance. This review was requested by the UK medicines agency, the MHRA, following a national review of all adrenaline auto-injector products approved in the UK. Although the product information of adrenaline auto-injectors states that the devices deliver adrenaline into a muscle, the UK review concluded that there is no robust evidence that this is the case for all patients. Depending on individual factors such as skin-to-muscle depth, adrenaline may instead be …
Course of the week – Infection Control
Infection Control Training is a mandated training program for any employee, self-employed person, or safety representative who may be exposed to blood or other body fluids. This course is available online or from one of our approved instructors. It is designed to meet the requirements and recommendations of the HSE, NHS and the medical professionals. infection control training is required in other industries outside the medical world. We have different versions aimed at the healthcare, dental, non medical (hotels, car breakers etc) and tattoo/beauty industry.
Viral Meningitis Awareness Week
This is the second Viral Meningitis Awareness week, and this year we are asking everyone to be #VocalAboutViral. It’s all about getting people to talk about the disease, its symptoms and its after-effects. Up to 6,000 people each year suffer viral meningitis. A Meningitis Now survey last year, highlighted that 97% of victims faced debilitating after-effects including exhaustion, headaches, memory loss, depression, anxiety and hearing difficulties.