Body Mass Index (BMI)

Obesity and overweight are not a particularly recent problem despite what is portrayed in the media. They are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Worldwide obesity has more than doubled since 1980 and nearly 43 million children under the age of 5 were overweight in 2010. Sadly, they are preventable diseases. Anorexia Nervosa requires a brief mention within this module as it also accounts for abnormal BMIs but will be covered elsewhere within your medical degree course.

The aim of this module is to facilitate learning regarding the topic of Body Mass Index (BMI). 

Clinical Skills

• Dr Eleanor Chiu
• Miss Alyssia Broomfield
• Miss Iona Taylor 

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Hand Hygiene

Health Care Associated Infection (HCAI) is a critical patient safety issue. At any one time up to eight per cent of inpatients in England and Wales have HCAI (Smythe et al 2008).

Statistics for England and Wales show that 5,109 deaths involved MRSA and 13,189 involved Clostridium difficile during the period 2001-2006 in patient care establishments (NPSA, 2008).

Evidence shows that improving Hand Hygiene contributes significantly to the reduction of HCAI.

The aim of this module is to facilitate learning regarding the purpose and procedure of Hand Hygiene.

Clinical Skills

• Sian Williams (Clinical Skills Tutor/Manager)

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Standard Precautions / Personal Protective Equipment

‘Standard precautions [formerly called universal precautions] are meant to reduce the risk of transmission of pathogens from both recognized and unrecognized sources. They are the basic level of infection control precautions which are used in the care of all patients’ (WHO 2007).

The aim of this module is to facilitate learning regarding the reasons for standard precautions and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare.

Clinical Skills

• Carole Loveridge (Lecturer in Women’s Health)

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