WREN Autumn Study Day 2017

Wednesday 29th November 2017
Summary Newsletter and Projects Information
By Chris Course

The Welsh Research and Eduction Network (WREN) Autumn Study Day took place at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend on 29th November 2017.  We had a really good turnout with lots of trainees keen to learn more about research, aided by the morning educational sessions (see further information below). Following this, there were updates on the current WREN project portfolio, with completed projects on audiology follow-up after meningitis being presented by Fiona Astill, and Siwan Lloyd presenting her work on the referral process for developmental delay. Qumrun Nahar presented her preliminary work on the use of botox for spasticity in Pembrokeshire, with plans to expand the project to other health boards in Wales.  Full details of the project results will be published on our website shortly. With one large-scale project still ongoing, and two more planned for the start of 2018, there’s still lots going on within the network to get involved with! 

Additionally, the new WREN Blog (www.wrenpaediatrics.com/blog) was launched last month, and is being edited by Rebecca Broomfield and Annabel Greenwood. They will be publishing on the first of each month on a range topics, including conference reports, critical appraisal and current research happening in Wales now. They are looking for contributors too, so if you have something to share or a topic you’d love to write about, please get in touch.

Details of the WREN projects and their project leads, with contact details, are below. We will be disseminating these projects amongst the units, but if you would like to get involved in any of the projects in WREN’s current portfolio, please contact the project leads (details below). If you have an idea for a project you would like to develop with WREN’s help, please contact either myself or Siwan Lloyd via our website or using the details at the top of this newsletter.

The next WREN study day is planned for May 2018 (confirmed date to follow), and we hope that you will be able to join us for another stimulating and thought-provoking study day, building on from the success of the last!​

Education
The morning educational sessions were focussed on the importance of good research practice, with Health and Care Research Wales coming to give an update on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) for paediatrics. The added complexities of research for the paediatric population were highlighted, as well as the robust nature of research methodology to ensure valid results. The workshop received excellent feedback, and all attendees received a certificate for their portfolios.
This was followed by Kate Burke and David Gallagher coming to share their experiences of taking time out from clinical training to undertake a PhD. The highs and the lows of their journeys were illuminating, and their varied experiences of the opportunities on offer, like experiencing a European neonatal units way of working,  plus the ability to develop new lab skills, demonstrated the gains to be had. The realities of thesis writing were made plain though, so there’s always a flip-side!
Thanks to our our speakers for an excellent morning educational session.

Ongoing Projects:
Project Title: ‘Antibiotic use on the post-natal wards.’
Project Lead: Zoe Howard, ST5 Royal Glamorgan zoe.howard@doctors.org.uk  (and Annabel Greenwood ST3, UHW  greenwoodan@hotmail.co.uk  and Chris Course, ST4 UHW)
Description: NICE guidance on the management of suspected early-onset neonatal sepsis has existed for several years, however management appears to vary across units throughout Wales. A prospective audit of infants started on antibiotics for suspected sepsis post-delivery is underway for units across Wales. A comparison of local unit guidelines across Wales is also a part of this project. This project has so far completed 4 months of data collection, and is planning on completing a further two months before starting data analysis. So far data on more than 200 infants has been gathered.

Upcoming Projects:
Project Title: ‘Head injuries on the postnatal wards’
Project Lead: Siwan Lloyd, ST3 Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales siwanlloyd@doctors.org.uk
Description: A pilot study at UHW has demonstrated that infants being accidentally dropped on the postnatal ward is not an uncommon occurrence, however their management and level of investigation following injury was very variable. Following on from this, an all Wales study is planned to determine the incidence, risk factors and management used, with the aim of producing a best practice guideline for these infants and their parents.

Project Title: ‘Re-audit of the Management of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Preterm Infants’
Project Lead: Chris Course, ST4 Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales chriscourse@doctors.org.uk 
Description: Following the initial audit in 2014/2015 by WREN, a Wales Neonatal Network guideline was introduced for the Management of RDS in Preterm Infants in June 2016. The re-audit is planned to commence in March 2018 and will run for six months to assess how the new national guideline has affected patient care.