NutriLibrary

Interview with Ruth Charles, Secretary of the Irish Food Allergy Network (IFAN)

Mon, 12 May 2014 08:02 GMT

How did the Irish Food Allergy Network (IFAN) come about?
I noticed increasing numbers of infants and toddlers presenting with suspected food allergy at my HSE based dietetic clinic from 2000, a time when there was a massive “black hole” in national allergy services. Families were struggling to cope not to mention me as a DIetitian. The associated burden of care and quality of life issues for affected families were huge and significant.

There were very limited clinicians and allied health staff trained and competent…

ESPEN 2013

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:35 GMT

Conference Report

The 35th ESPEN congress was held for the second time in Leipzig, Germany from the 31st August – 3rd September. The theme was “Tearing down barriers – nutrition brings people together”, with the aim to showcase an interesting, broad and open-minded programme, offering both updated and cutting-edge science, as well as clinical practice. The conference consisted of a full scientific programme as well as a display of over 580 posters showcasing new research from across the world.

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A Day in the Life: Community Dietitian Manager Margaret O’Neill

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 16:22 GMT

We are delighted to introduce you to a day in the life of the INDI Dietitian of the Year Margaret O'Neill.

I fall out of bed at 7am, or maybe quarter past, and have a large pot of coffee. I also make sure all the lunches are sorted. I have four children: Seán, who is 13, Anna, who is 11, Ciara, who is 9 and Rory, who is 5. As a Community Dietitian I do a lot of training with schools and I have to watch what…

Statistics in Clinical Papers

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 12:31 GMT

Paul Manson. Liason/Clinical Librarian, NHS Grampian, Scotland.

“Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability”
- William Osler

The renowned Canadian physician William Osler might just as well have had medical statistics in mind with this quote. This short article will show you how to interpret statistical uncertainties in clinical studies and how to extract useful conclusions from them. The explanations below are non-mathematical and are intended to give you a passable understanding of the concepts. This is not an abbreviated statistics course – perhaps real…

What are Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids?

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 16:07 GMT

Kate Maslin, Allergy Research Dietitian, The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight
Dr. Carina Venter PhD RD, Allergy Specialist Dietitian, The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Isle of Wight. NIHR Post Doc Research Fellow, University of Portsmouth

Long Chain Polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs) are derived from two main polyunsaturated fatty acids; α – linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid.

ALA, found in plant based foods (e.g. flaxseed and walnut oil), is the parent n-3 fatty acid, from which the LCPs Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)…

Oral Nutritional Supplements for the Cancer Patient - How do we choose?

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:09 GMT

Fiona Roulston, Senior Oncology Dietitian, Adelaide & Meath Hospital, Incorporating the National Children's Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin.

The debate regarding the use of EPA-enriched oral nutritional supplements (ONS) versus standard oral nutritional supplements with cancer patients has been ongoing for several years and it continues to be a hot topic in the area of cancer cachexia.

This article aims to summarise recent research and guidelines, and to suggest a step-by-step approach to choosing ONS in this patient group.

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome defined by an ongoing loss of…

Monitoring Adults on Long Term Home Enteral Nutrition

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:24 GMT

Niamh Maher, Senior Community Dietitian (Home Enteral Nutrition), HSE Dublin/ North East

Enteral feeding in primary care continues to increase, with patients discharged to home or residential care. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the commonest method of long term enteral nutrition (Sanders et al., 2001).

Dysphagia associated with head and neck cancer and CVA remain the most common indications for home enteral nutrition (HEN) in adults while the number of dementia patients on HEN is declining (BANS Report, 2010). HEN can allow patients to return to a familiar environment…

Lactose Intolerance and Cows’ Milk Protein Allergy

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:43 GMT

Claire Schwarz, Research Dietitian, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London

Lactose Intolerance (LI) and Cows’ Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) are terms often used interchangeably when infants and children have adverse gastrointestinal reactions to dairy products. However, these are two distinctly different conditions and careful consideration should be given to the appropriate clinical use of these diagnostic terms. Both fall under the remit of food hypersensitivity, as defined by two scientific reports^1,2 (Figure 1), but have different pathophysiology. It is vital that paediatric health professionals understand the differences between…

Dietary Management of Early Chronic Kidney Disease

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:32 GMT

Fiona Byrne, Clinical Specialist Renal Dietitian, Cork University Hospital

Major Points:
• CKD is becoming increasingly common due to our ageing population and a rising incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
• CKD is a potent independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
• Optimal management of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease also slows the progression of CKD.
• Most patients with CKD will not progress to end stage kidney disease.
• The majority of people with CKD will be managed in general practice.
• Early CKD is…