Second Report of the Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services

Second Report of the Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services The Minister for Health and Children established a Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in June 2000 with the following terms of reference:·  To examine the current state of child and adolescent psychiatric services in the country; ·  To carry out a needs analysis of the population aged 0-18 years for such services and to identify shortcomings in meeting such needs; ·  To make recommendations on how child and adolescent psychiatric services should be developed in the short, medium and long term to meet identified needs. Click here to download PDF 58kb

Treatment of severe infectious purpura in children with human plasma from donors immunized with Escherichia coli J5: a prospective double-blind study. J5 study Group.

To evaluate the efficacy of anti-J5 serum in the treatment of severe infectious purpura, 73 children were randomized to receive either anti-J5 (40) or control (33) plasma. Age, blood pressure, and biologic risk factors were similar in both groups. At admission, however, tumor necrosis factor serum concentrations were 974 +/- 173 pg/ml compared with 473 +/- 85 pg/ml (P = .023) and interleukin-6 serum concentrations were 129 +/- 45 compared with 19 +/- 5 ng/ml (P = .005) in the control and treated groups, respectively. The duration of shock and the occurrence of complications were similar in both groups. The mortality rate was 36% in the control group and 25% in the treated group (P = .317; odds ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.46-1.26). This trend disappeared after correction for unbalances in risk factors at randomization using a logistic regression model. These results suggest that anti-j5 plasma did not affect the course or mortality of severe infectious purpura in children.

Second Report of the Working Group on Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services

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The National Primary Care Steering Group - Progress Report

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Report of the Expert Group on Midwifery and Children's Nursing Education

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Pharmacy Review Group Report

Pharmacy Review Group Report (PDF, 420KB) Indecon Assessment of the 1996 Pharmacy Regulations (PDF, 430KB) Indecon Review of Proposed Regulatory Models for the Pharmacy Sector (PDF, 400KB)  

National Blood Strategy Implementation Group Report

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Classification of human astrocytic gliomas on the basis of gene expression: a correlated group of genes with angiogenic activity emerges as a strong predictor of subtypes.

The development of targeted treatment strategies adapted to individual patients requires identification of the different tumor classes according to their biology and prognosis. We focus here on the molecular aspects underlying these differences, in terms of sets of genes that control pathogenesis of the different subtypes of astrocytic glioma. By performing cDNA-array analysis of 53 patient biopsies, comprising low-grade astrocytoma, secondary glioblastoma (respective recurrent high-grade tumors), and newly diagnosed primary glioblastoma, we demonstrate that human gliomas can be differentiated according to their gene expression. We found that low-grade astrocytoma have the most specific and similar expression profiles, whereas primary glioblastoma exhibit much larger variation between tumors. Secondary glioblastoma display features of both other groups. We identified several sets of genes with relatively highly correlated expression within groups that: (a). can be associated with specific biological functions; and (b). effectively differentiate tumor class. One prominent gene cluster discriminating primary versus nonprimary glioblastoma comprises mostly genes involved in angiogenesis, including VEGF fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 but also IGFBP2, that has not yet been directly linked to angiogenesis. In situ hybridization demonstrating coexpression of IGFBP2 and VEGF in pseudopalisading cells surrounding tumor necrosis provided further evidence for a possible involvement of IGFBP2 in angiogenesis. The separating groups of genes were found by the unsupervised coupled two-way clustering method, and their classification power was validated by a supervised construction of a nearly perfect glioma classifier.

Report of the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme Review Group

The Irish service was last reviewed in 1980.  Much of the valuable recommendations made at that time have been given effect.  The present Review Group examined that report and, to the extend that recommendations then made have not been acted upon, incorporated them in this report. The views and rights of mothers were of course paramount in the consideration of the members of the Group and issues of choice, privacy, consent and information were considered and appropriate recommendations made. Download the Report here

Hearing Disability Assessment - Report of the Expert Hearing Group

In November 1997, the Department of Health and Children established an expert group to examine and make recommendations on an appropriate system and criteria for the assessment of hearing disability arising from hearing loss, with particular reference to noise induced hearing loss. The group was to prepare a report for the Minister for Health and Children. Download the Report here

Report of the Working Group on Bacterial Meningitis and Related Conditions

Meningococcal disease is a serious condition with high morbidity and significant mortality. The Department of Health and Children’s Working Group on Bacterial Meningitis and Related Conditions has monitored the epidemiology of Meningococcal disease and in 1997, in its first report, proposed strategies to prevent this infection and its complications. This report has been reviewed and updated and a second report issued in July 1999. This Report describes the epidemiology of Meningococcal disease and includes practical guidance in relation to the management of clusters and chemoprophylaxis. The Report also includes guidelines in relation to the hospital based management of suspected Meningococcal Sepsis/Meningitis and which can be adapted depending on local circumstances Download the Report here

Building Healthier Hearts: The Report of the Cardiovascular Health Strategy Group

This introduction to "Building Healthier Hearts" will give readers an overview of the report of the Cardiovascular Health Strategy Group. Firstly, it sets out the background to the strategy and its policy context. A brief description of mortality and morbidity trends from cardiovascular disease in Ireland follows. Next an overview is given of current health service provision and of the changes considered necessary by the Group Download the Report here

Report of the Paediatric Nurse Education Review Group

10.12.2000 The Department of Health and Children is implementing the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing (1998). It agreed with the Nursing Alliance in early 2000 to set up working groups to inform the implementation of specific recommendations in relation to nurse education. One of these working groups was to address paediatric nurse education. In March 2000, a Steering Group to oversee a review of paediatric nurse education was convened and the following terms of reference agreed. To consider the future of paediatric nurse education in the light of the recommendations of the Report of the Commission on Nursing, Labour Court recommendation LCR 16330, and current practice and development in child health services. To make recommendations within the context of current developments in nursing, nurse education and service delivery. Download the Report here

Towards a tobacco free society : Report of the Tobacco Free policy Review Group

This report is the latest of four reports dealing with various aspects of smoking. There is some inevitable overlap in these reports and the actual recommendations may be somewhat different but there is a common objective of seeking the most effective measures possible to dramatically reduce the level of smoking in our society and above all to prevent our children from starting to smoke Download the Report here

Towards a Standardised Framework for Inter-Country Adoption - Report of the Implementation Group

The report contains Background to the commissioning of the Report â?~â?~Towards a Standardised Framework for Intercountry Adoption Assessment Proceduresâ?Tâ?T; the Government decision arising; and the principal findings and recommendations of the Report (Chapter 1); Detailed information on progress made in relation to the recommendations contained in the Report (Chapters 2-5); Statistical data in relation to intercountry adoption services at June, 2000 (Chapter 6); A summary of key findings of the Implementation Group (Chapter 7); and The Implementation Groupâ?Ts recommendations regarding the future of intercountry adoption services (Chapter 8). Download the Report here