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Introduction: Despite a decline in Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy in the UK since 2004, inequalities have widened with higher rates among families from deprived backgrounds and those known to child protection services. Almost all cases involve parents who had engaged in unsafe sleeping practices despite awareness of safer sleeping advice. Objective: To understand the perspectives surrounding safer sleep of families supported by statutory child protection agencies, and use behavior change theory to inform how approaches to providing safer sleep advice to these families may be modified. Participants and setting: We interviewed 14 mothers, 2 fathers and one grandmother, who had recent contact with child protection services in northeast England. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews, with purposive sampling. The COM-B model (Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation) structured our analysis. Results: Parents described how anxiety, sleep deprivation, settling infants, illness, and a desire to bond with infants influence their decision making about sleep. Parents valued credible, trusted sources and understanding how safer sleep practices protect infants. Responses to questions about 'out of routine' situations suggested social pressures surrounding routines and 'good parenting' may preclude parents from acknowledging risks and planning for these situations. Conclusion: Open conversations tailored to the needs of families, focused upon understanding why and when parent(s) do or do not follow safer sleep guidance seem a promising way of promoting safer sleep practices. Safer sleep discussions with these families are likely to be best delivered as part of wider infant care by professionals who have an established and continuing trusting relationship with parents. While advice and information should be provided by any professional in contact with the family with the necessary expertise, sensitive conversations around sleeping practices, particularly co-sleeping, may be more easily facilitated by professionals where the statutory responsibility for safeguarding is less apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is characterized by identity formation, exploration and initiation of intimate relationships. Much of this occurs at school, making schools key sites of sexual harassment. Schools often lack awareness and understanding of the issue, and UK research on the topic is scarce. We explored prevalence and perceptions of sexual harassment in a school-based mixed-methods study of 13–17 year-old Scottish adolescents. Methods: A student survey (N = 638) assessed past 3-months school-based victimization and perpetration prevalence via 17 behavioral items based on the most commonly used school-based sexual harassment measure ('Hostile Hallways'). Eighteen focus groups (N = 119 students) explored which of 10 behaviors were perceived as harassing/unacceptable and why. Results: Two-thirds reported any victimization: 64.7% 'visual/verbal' (e.g. sexual jokes) and 34.3% 'contact/personally-invasive' behaviors (e.g. sexual touching; most of whom also reported experiencing visual/verbal types) in the past 3-months. Data suggested a gateway effect, such that contact/personally-invasive behaviors are more likely to be reported by those also reporting more common visual/verbal behaviors. Some survey participants reported being unsure about whether they had experienced certain behaviors; and in focus groups, participants expressed uncertainty regarding the acceptability of most behaviors. Ambiguities centered on behavioral context and enactment including: degree of pressure, persistence and physicality; degree of familiarity between the instigator-recipient; and perception of the instigator's intent. In attempting to resolve ambiguities, students applied normative schemas underpinned by rights (to dignity, respect and equality) and 'knowingness', usually engendered by friendship. Conclusions: Our study confirms school-based sexual harassment is common but also finds significant nuance in the ways in which students distinguish between acceptable and harassing. School-based strategies to tackle sexual harassment must engage with this complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This post-market evaluation assessed the performance of ActivHeal® Aquafiber™ Extra dressing and gathered feedback from clinicians using it to treat a variety of wounds. The primary outcomes were the progression to healing through exudate management and maintenance of a moist wound healing environment. The evaluation took place across three sites in the UK. Forty-three patients were treated according to instructions to use and standard local practice. Data was collected at every dressing change. Aquafiber® Extra use had positive effects on exudate levels, periwound condition and tissue type(s) within the wound bed. The majority of wounds reduced in size during the evaluation period and three completely healed. Overall, clinician and patient satisfaction was high. No adverse events were reported. The results suggest Aquafiber® Extra use in clinical practice is safe, effective and acceptable to practitioners and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the evaluation in clinical practice of a new absorbent silicone adhesive foam dressing on 20 wounds over three dressing changes. Aspects of the evaluation included pain, ease of dressing removal, exudate handling, conformability of the dressing and ease of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-healing wounds are a significant burden to healthcare systems, where it is estimated that 4-5% of the adult population has a problem wound at any one time (Guest et al, 2017). It is suggested that infection is the most frequent complication in non-healing wounds where it can prolong patient treatment times and increase resource use (Gottrup et al, 2013). Wound infection develops as a result of an imbalance between the patient’s immune system and the conditions in the wound, which subsequently can promote bacterial proliferation (Wounds UK, 2013). It can impact on the patient by delaying wound healing, increasing the risk of amputation and life-threatening conditions, and reducing quality of life. The use of antibiotics to treat wound infections has decreased due to the increased risk of antibiotic resistance (Swanson et al, 2014). As a result alternative strategies for preventing and managing wound infection have been adopted, including wound debridement and the use of topical antiseptic/antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors discuss the inaugural Wounds UK debate hosted by the Wounds UK Harrogate conference which tackles the subject of dressing and how clinicians take the right choices for patients. They state that the debate aims to find answers to questions on the criteria when making decisions on the suitability of particular dressing products. They mention that the debate seeks to use an expert panel with resemblance to the popular television (TV) show to discover the X Factor of dressing choice.