Australian researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that pooled data from more than 30 studies of the association between tea and coffee consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabet. About a million of participants were involved.
They found that "high intake of coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and/or tea is associated with a reduction in the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes" and the compound magnesium and antioxidants in tea and coffee may be involved.
Critics said the studies lacked sufficient data on the effects of these beverages or their components on measures of hyperglycaemia and insulin sensitivity, therefore the mechanisms involved is still unknown. It may not be possible to generalise these findings to other populations because only a small number of particpants were non-white.
Further research into the effect of these beverages on diabetes is warranted, but it is advised that people should not increase their tea or coffee consumption based on these findings.
Source: Huxley R, Man Ying Lee C, Barzi F, et al. "Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus". Arch Intern Med 2009; 169: 2053-2063
Monday, December 21, 2009
25 techniques to improve trainees' bedside skills
"Stanford 25" is a list of 25 fundamental physical examination techniques and their diagnostic benefits developed by Stanford Medical School to teach the interns to improve their skills at the bedside. It is published in the Christmas issue of the BMJ.
Abraham Verghese, professor of medicine at Stanford, wrote in the editorial, that the bedside skills of trainees in the US are declining as a result of the over-use of modern diagnostic tests. He argued that physical examination along with the taking of a good history are necessary and important in the diagnosis of clinical signs because many of them such as rebound tenderness, lid lag, tremor etc cannot be detected by an imaging test. He said that the Stanford 25 also gives "junior faculty members a repertoire of skills to teach when they are at the bedside."
Editorial : "In Praise of the Physical Examination", Abraham Verghese, Ralph Horwitz. BMJ 2009;339:b5448
Abraham Verghese, professor of medicine at Stanford, wrote in the editorial, that the bedside skills of trainees in the US are declining as a result of the over-use of modern diagnostic tests. He argued that physical examination along with the taking of a good history are necessary and important in the diagnosis of clinical signs because many of them such as rebound tenderness, lid lag, tremor etc cannot be detected by an imaging test. He said that the Stanford 25 also gives "junior faculty members a repertoire of skills to teach when they are at the bedside."
Editorial : "In Praise of the Physical Examination", Abraham Verghese, Ralph Horwitz. BMJ 2009;339:b5448
Junior doctors to be tested for prescribing skills
A study commissioned by the GMC into the causes and prevalence of prescribing errors by Foundation Year doctors found that 8.9% of the prescriptions issued by doctors had errors, some of which could harm patients.
124,260 prescriptions were checked by pharmacists in 19 hospital trusts in north-west England and 11,077 errors were found. The errors included omitting drugs, wrong doses, patients’ allergies not taking into account, illegible handwriting or ambiguous orders.
When the hospital doctors were interviewed about their mistakes, some admitted they relied heavily on pharmacists and nurses as “safety net” to help catch the errors. It was found that junior doctors were ill prepared in medical school where they filled out only a few prescription forms a year, but have to complete dozens of prescriptions a day when they start as junior doctors.
The chairman of British Pharmacological Society (BPS) Prescribing Committee, Professor Simon Maxwell, said that the evidence indicated that there are serious medication errors and “such an error rate would not be acceptable”. He believed that focus on training in prescribing can improve the standards and is calling on the doctors to take the National Prescribing Assessment before they are qualified.
Sources :
GMC Press Release on 03 Dec 2009
BPS press briefing on 14 December 2009
A Blueprint for safer prescribing: BPS expresses concern about poor prescribing and calls for greater collaboration in solving the problem
124,260 prescriptions were checked by pharmacists in 19 hospital trusts in north-west England and 11,077 errors were found. The errors included omitting drugs, wrong doses, patients’ allergies not taking into account, illegible handwriting or ambiguous orders.
When the hospital doctors were interviewed about their mistakes, some admitted they relied heavily on pharmacists and nurses as “safety net” to help catch the errors. It was found that junior doctors were ill prepared in medical school where they filled out only a few prescription forms a year, but have to complete dozens of prescriptions a day when they start as junior doctors.
The chairman of British Pharmacological Society (BPS) Prescribing Committee, Professor Simon Maxwell, said that the evidence indicated that there are serious medication errors and “such an error rate would not be acceptable”. He believed that focus on training in prescribing can improve the standards and is calling on the doctors to take the National Prescribing Assessment before they are qualified.
Sources :
GMC Press Release on 03 Dec 2009
BPS press briefing on 14 December 2009
A Blueprint for safer prescribing: BPS expresses concern about poor prescribing and calls for greater collaboration in solving the problem
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
CT scans may raise cancer risk
The hazards of radiation from CT scans was highlighted by some articles published in this week's Archives of Internal Medicine.
One study found that the number of CT scans has increased dramatically in recent years in the US putting patients at the risk of developing radiation-induced cancer. They estimated that the CT scans performed in 2007 will eventually cause 29,000 cancers and 15,000 death.
Another study found that radiation doses from common diagnostic CT scans are much higher than we previously thought and the amount of radiation varies wildly and much greater than is considered acceptable. Based on their findings, they estimated that at the age of 40, 1 in 270 women who get CT scan of the heart will develop cancer and 1 in 600 men. 1 in 8,100 women who get scans of the head and 1 in 11,080 men.
In an accompanying editorial, the author asked are such risks justified and concluded that "to avoid unnecessarily increasing cancer incidence in future years, every clinician must carefully assess the expected benefits of each CT scan and fully inform his or her patients of the known risks of radiation". Greater standardization across institutions is also needed.
Source: ( both f/t via Athens )
"Radiation Dose Associated With Common Computed Tomography Examinations and the Associated Lifetime Attributable Risk of Cancer" Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(22):2078-2086
"Cancer Risks and Radiation Exposure From Computed Tomographic Scans: How Can We Be Sure That the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?" Arch Intern Med 2009;169:2049-2050.
One study found that the number of CT scans has increased dramatically in recent years in the US putting patients at the risk of developing radiation-induced cancer. They estimated that the CT scans performed in 2007 will eventually cause 29,000 cancers and 15,000 death.
Another study found that radiation doses from common diagnostic CT scans are much higher than we previously thought and the amount of radiation varies wildly and much greater than is considered acceptable. Based on their findings, they estimated that at the age of 40, 1 in 270 women who get CT scan of the heart will develop cancer and 1 in 600 men. 1 in 8,100 women who get scans of the head and 1 in 11,080 men.
In an accompanying editorial, the author asked are such risks justified and concluded that "to avoid unnecessarily increasing cancer incidence in future years, every clinician must carefully assess the expected benefits of each CT scan and fully inform his or her patients of the known risks of radiation". Greater standardization across institutions is also needed.
Source: ( both f/t via Athens )
"Radiation Dose Associated With Common Computed Tomography Examinations and the Associated Lifetime Attributable Risk of Cancer" Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(22):2078-2086
"Cancer Risks and Radiation Exposure From Computed Tomographic Scans: How Can We Be Sure That the Benefits Outweigh the Risks?" Arch Intern Med 2009;169:2049-2050.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The truth about Tamiflu
This week, the BMJ published a series of articles online about an update of an earlier review on oseltamivir’s efficacy in preventing complications from seasonal influenza. What makes it interesting is that in addition to the review itself, the journal also published an article that documents how the reviewers reached its current conclusion that has undermined previous findings for oseltamivir’s prevention of complications from influenza.
The story began
With the spread of the influenza A/H1N1 pandemic that began in April 2009, the use of antiviral drug has increased dramatically, the UK National Institute of Health Research commissioned an update of the Cochrane review of neuraminidase inhibitors such as Oseltamivir ( also known as Tamiflu) in healthy adults.
The Cochrane group that reviewed the efficacy of the antiflu drug in 2005, concluded at the time that oseltamivir was effective in reducing complications of flu among healthy adults. The review was criticised by a Japanese paediatrician, K Hayashi, who questioned the validity and reliability of the findings because one of the papers the review was based on was a meta-analysis of 10 trials of oseltamivir, all of which were funded by Roche, the drug manufacturer, only 2 were published in peer-reviewed journals while the remaining 8 were unpublished or published as abstract only. Hayashi challenged them to “appraise the 8 trials rigidly”.
The review team contacted the authors of the study and Roche with an attempt to verify the data but they said Roche failed to make the data available in the public domain. Eventually the team had to exclude the 8 trials in the new review, based on 20 trials, they found that there was little evidence that Tamiflu has effects on preventing complications like pneumonia and it can cut the length of illness by around a day. They call on governments to set up studies to monitor the drugs for safety.
Some critics say the new finding is not very new, it is generally known the evidence for prevention of flu complications is weak, many clinicians do not recommend the drug for healthy adults. However, others said in severely ill patients with flu-like symptoms, evidence shows that it offers some benefits.
The editor of BMJ said “Government around the world have spent billions of pounds on a drug that the scientific community now finds itself unable to judge”. The new review casts doubt not only in how safe and effective Tamiflu is but also how drugs are regulated and approved.
In the UK, the British government has stockpiled tens of millions of Tamiflu doses and the drug is given to healthy people with flu via a national swine flu hotline.
Source:
"Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults: systematic review and meta-analysis". BMJ 2009;339:b5106
Editorial : "Why don’t we have all the evidence on oseltamivir"? BMJ 2009;339:b5351
The story began
With the spread of the influenza A/H1N1 pandemic that began in April 2009, the use of antiviral drug has increased dramatically, the UK National Institute of Health Research commissioned an update of the Cochrane review of neuraminidase inhibitors such as Oseltamivir ( also known as Tamiflu) in healthy adults.
The Cochrane group that reviewed the efficacy of the antiflu drug in 2005, concluded at the time that oseltamivir was effective in reducing complications of flu among healthy adults. The review was criticised by a Japanese paediatrician, K Hayashi, who questioned the validity and reliability of the findings because one of the papers the review was based on was a meta-analysis of 10 trials of oseltamivir, all of which were funded by Roche, the drug manufacturer, only 2 were published in peer-reviewed journals while the remaining 8 were unpublished or published as abstract only. Hayashi challenged them to “appraise the 8 trials rigidly”.
The review team contacted the authors of the study and Roche with an attempt to verify the data but they said Roche failed to make the data available in the public domain. Eventually the team had to exclude the 8 trials in the new review, based on 20 trials, they found that there was little evidence that Tamiflu has effects on preventing complications like pneumonia and it can cut the length of illness by around a day. They call on governments to set up studies to monitor the drugs for safety.
Some critics say the new finding is not very new, it is generally known the evidence for prevention of flu complications is weak, many clinicians do not recommend the drug for healthy adults. However, others said in severely ill patients with flu-like symptoms, evidence shows that it offers some benefits.
The editor of BMJ said “Government around the world have spent billions of pounds on a drug that the scientific community now finds itself unable to judge”. The new review casts doubt not only in how safe and effective Tamiflu is but also how drugs are regulated and approved.
In the UK, the British government has stockpiled tens of millions of Tamiflu doses and the drug is given to healthy people with flu via a national swine flu hotline.
Source:
"Neuraminidase inhibitors for preventing and treating influenza in healthy adults: systematic review and meta-analysis". BMJ 2009;339:b5106
Editorial : "Why don’t we have all the evidence on oseltamivir"? BMJ 2009;339:b5351
Applying for specialty training: top tips
A specialty trainee who was twice successful with specialty training applications, gives some advice to this year’s applicants based on her experience and those of colleagues.
Her advice, published in the BMJ Careers, includes :
- Establish your goal and the bottom line
- Organise your form - think in advance about how you will answer questions, sort out the certificates and job details, submit the application much ahead of the deadline etc.
- Prepare your portfolio
- Gather supporting documents
- Keep perspective
Source :"Applying for specialty training: top tips" BMJ Careers, 25 Nov 2009
Her advice, published in the BMJ Careers, includes :
- Establish your goal and the bottom line
- Organise your form - think in advance about how you will answer questions, sort out the certificates and job details, submit the application much ahead of the deadline etc.
- Prepare your portfolio
- Gather supporting documents
- Keep perspective
Source :"Applying for specialty training: top tips" BMJ Careers, 25 Nov 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Transplanting kidneys with renal masses
According to the December issue of BJU International, surgeons at the University of Maryland have transplanted 5 kidneys that have been affected by a renal mass, 3 were cancerous. So far, 1 of the recipients has died in an accident, the remaining 4 have survived between 9 and 41 months without develoing cancer.
The head of the team, Dr Michael Phelan, said both patients and the donors were aware of the cancer in the donor kidneys and the risks including recurrence of the cancer. Before the transplanting into the recipients, the surgeons removed all visible traces of the tumours. Such approach is "controversial and considered high risk" said Dr Phelan, but "The current study provides evidence to suggest that kidneys from donors with renal masses offer a minor, yet feasible, solution to the current organ shortage" and "can be transplanted into recipients with limited life-expectancy on haemodialysis after careful removal of the renal masses".
Source : "Living-donor renal transplantation of grafts with incidental renal masses after ex-vivo partial nephrectomy" BJU International, December 2009, Volume 104, Number 11 (f/t via Athens)
The head of the team, Dr Michael Phelan, said both patients and the donors were aware of the cancer in the donor kidneys and the risks including recurrence of the cancer. Before the transplanting into the recipients, the surgeons removed all visible traces of the tumours. Such approach is "controversial and considered high risk" said Dr Phelan, but "The current study provides evidence to suggest that kidneys from donors with renal masses offer a minor, yet feasible, solution to the current organ shortage" and "can be transplanted into recipients with limited life-expectancy on haemodialysis after careful removal of the renal masses".
Source : "Living-donor renal transplantation of grafts with incidental renal masses after ex-vivo partial nephrectomy" BJU International, December 2009, Volume 104, Number 11 (f/t via Athens)
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Low-level laser therapy in neck pain
Australian researchers did a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in neck pain. LLLT is a non-invasive treatment by applying low-intensity laser beam to sites of pain. The study was published in The Lancet.
Researchers pooled data from 16 RCTs involving 820 patients with chronic neck pain comparing the efficacy of LLLT using wavelength vs placebo or active control. The authors reported that although the mechanism was unknown, LLLT was found effective in short and medium-term pain relief with moderate benefits. They also said that adverse effects from this treatment were minimal.
In an accompanying editorial, the author said that "this evidence is more solid than that for many current interventions" and "LLLT is an option worthy of consideration for management of nonspecific neck pain."
Critics warned that all 16 trials had relatively small sample sizes from 20 to 90 subjects, so the risk of bias could not be ruled out. Furthermore, many of the trials did not provide data on the side effects nor withdrawls and drop-outs that would affect the trial outcome.
Source :
Chow R, et al "Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials" Lancet 2009; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61522-1. (f/t via Athens)
Editorial: Guzman J "Neck pain and low-level laser: Does it work and how?" Lancet 2009; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61837-7. ( f/t via Athens)
Researchers pooled data from 16 RCTs involving 820 patients with chronic neck pain comparing the efficacy of LLLT using wavelength vs placebo or active control. The authors reported that although the mechanism was unknown, LLLT was found effective in short and medium-term pain relief with moderate benefits. They also said that adverse effects from this treatment were minimal.
In an accompanying editorial, the author said that "this evidence is more solid than that for many current interventions" and "LLLT is an option worthy of consideration for management of nonspecific neck pain."
Critics warned that all 16 trials had relatively small sample sizes from 20 to 90 subjects, so the risk of bias could not be ruled out. Furthermore, many of the trials did not provide data on the side effects nor withdrawls and drop-outs that would affect the trial outcome.
Source :
Chow R, et al "Efficacy of low-level laser therapy in the management of neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo or active-treatment controlled trials" Lancet 2009; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61522-1. (f/t via Athens)
Editorial: Guzman J "Neck pain and low-level laser: Does it work and how?" Lancet 2009; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61837-7. ( f/t via Athens)
Monday, December 07, 2009
Risk of blood clots after surgery is higher and lasts longer than thought
Studies have shown that the risk of developing blood clot after major surgery is high but a new study pubished in BMJ Online First on 4 December found that this risk is higher and continues for up to 3 months after surgery.
The research was a large prospective study that tracked 947,454 women, average age 56, who were diagnosed with venous thromboembolism through the NHS breast screening programme between 1996 and 2001. The reserachers checked hospital admission and death records, followed for an average of 6.2 years and compared the risk of blood clots for those who did not have surgery with those who did have surgery.
The researchers found that within 6 weeks post operation, women who had day case surgery were 10 times more likely to have blood clots than those who had no surgery. The risk for those who had surgery in the hospital were nearly 70 times higher. At 7 to 12 weeks after surgery, the risk of blood clots was 6 times higher for the day case surgery group than the no surgery group and 20 times higher for the inpatient surgery group.
They also calculated different risks for different surgery and found that the incidence of blood clots in the 12 weeks after surgey :
Critics say that despite the lack of data on how many of the participants were taking preventive measures, this study is important because it broadens our understanding to current evidence of the risk of potential fatal blood clot after surgery and the findings may have implications for prolonged prophylaxis after surgery.
Source:
Editorial : Cohen TA. Prevention of postoperative venous thromboembolism. BMJ 2009; 339: b4477 (f/t via Athens)
Sweetland S, Green J, Liu B. et al. Duration and magnitude of the postoperative risk of venous thromboembolism in middle aged women: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2009; 339: b4583 ( f/t via Athens)
The research was a large prospective study that tracked 947,454 women, average age 56, who were diagnosed with venous thromboembolism through the NHS breast screening programme between 1996 and 2001. The reserachers checked hospital admission and death records, followed for an average of 6.2 years and compared the risk of blood clots for those who did not have surgery with those who did have surgery.
The researchers found that within 6 weeks post operation, women who had day case surgery were 10 times more likely to have blood clots than those who had no surgery. The risk for those who had surgery in the hospital were nearly 70 times higher. At 7 to 12 weeks after surgery, the risk of blood clots was 6 times higher for the day case surgery group than the no surgery group and 20 times higher for the inpatient surgery group.
They also calculated different risks for different surgery and found that the incidence of blood clots in the 12 weeks after surgey :
- 1 in 45 had developed blood clots after hip or knee replacement;
- 1 in 85 after cancer surgery;
- 1 in 815 after day surgery;
- 1 in 6,200 women who did not have surgery
Critics say that despite the lack of data on how many of the participants were taking preventive measures, this study is important because it broadens our understanding to current evidence of the risk of potential fatal blood clot after surgery and the findings may have implications for prolonged prophylaxis after surgery.
Source:
Editorial : Cohen TA. Prevention of postoperative venous thromboembolism. BMJ 2009; 339: b4477 (f/t via Athens)
Sweetland S, Green J, Liu B. et al. Duration and magnitude of the postoperative risk of venous thromboembolism in middle aged women: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2009; 339: b4583 ( f/t via Athens)
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Specialty training for doctors in England
Postgraduate medical training in the UK is changing, if you are considering postgraduate specialty training and seeking information on application to specialty training in England and related topics, the following documentations may help you get started with the process.
Information on the process and timetable for medical specialty training recruitment in 2010 is regularly updated on the Medical Specialty Training (England) website.
Information on the process and timetable for medical specialty training recruitment in 2010 is regularly updated on the Medical Specialty Training (England) website.
You can start by reading this BMJ article “Recruitment to medical specialty training (England) 2010” as a quick guide to the application process.
The followings aim to give F2 doctors an overview of the recruitment and application process :
Getting started
Completing an application form
e-portfolios
Also useful :
Advise to doctors on making the most of an e-portfolio - BMJ article
Improving your chances of getting the dream job – BMJ Careers series Aug 2008
More than an interview to land the job - BMJ article Aug 2005
Writing CVs and handling job interviews - BMJ article Jun 2004
Friday, November 27, 2009
Should healthy people use low-dose aspirin routinely?
Low-dose aspirin is widely used as secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in people who have had heart attacks or stroke. The latest issue of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) examined whether healthy people who have not had cardiovascular events should use low-dose aspirin as primary prevention.
The DTB study is not a systematic review but looked at current research evidence and expert opinion. It pointed out that although aspirin is not specifically licensed for use as primary prevention in the UK, various guidelines including NICE and SIGN recommend aspirin for primary prevention in certain groups of people such as those with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
However, DTB found that current evidence does not support routine use of low-dose aspirin in these groups due to the potential risk of serious bleeds and its low effect on death rates. It says "it is hard to recommend starting aspirin for primary prevention" and concludes that "... low -dose aspirin prophylaxis should not be routinely used for primary prevention."
Source: "Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease?" Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2009;47:122-125 (Relevant BNF section: 2.9)
The DTB study is not a systematic review but looked at current research evidence and expert opinion. It pointed out that although aspirin is not specifically licensed for use as primary prevention in the UK, various guidelines including NICE and SIGN recommend aspirin for primary prevention in certain groups of people such as those with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
However, DTB found that current evidence does not support routine use of low-dose aspirin in these groups due to the potential risk of serious bleeds and its low effect on death rates. It says "it is hard to recommend starting aspirin for primary prevention" and concludes that "... low -dose aspirin prophylaxis should not be routinely used for primary prevention."
Source: "Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease?" Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin 2009;47:122-125 (Relevant BNF section: 2.9)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Burnout and medical errors among American surgeons
The American College of Surgeons commissioned a self-reporting survey in June 2008 to measure burnout and quality of life among American surgeons. Researchers asked questions including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment and others.
Just under 8000 out of the 25,000 surgeons responded to the survey, overall 40% of the respondents said they were burnout, 9% of those responded said having made a major medical mistake in the last 3 months. Researchers found that those who said they had made an error also showed more signs of depression and emotional exhaustion, however it was not clear whether the distress led to more errors or the errors caused more distress. They also found that the number of overnight calls and hours worked were not associated with the errors reported.
The results were published online on November 23 in the Annals of Surgery. The authors said that " although surgeons do not appear more likely to make errors than physicians in other disciplines, errors made by surgeons may have more severe consequences for patients due to the intereventional nature of surgical practice".
Sources: "Burnout and Medical Errors Among American Surgeons"Annals of Surgery (f/t via Athens)
Just under 8000 out of the 25,000 surgeons responded to the survey, overall 40% of the respondents said they were burnout, 9% of those responded said having made a major medical mistake in the last 3 months. Researchers found that those who said they had made an error also showed more signs of depression and emotional exhaustion, however it was not clear whether the distress led to more errors or the errors caused more distress. They also found that the number of overnight calls and hours worked were not associated with the errors reported.
The results were published online on November 23 in the Annals of Surgery. The authors said that " although surgeons do not appear more likely to make errors than physicians in other disciplines, errors made by surgeons may have more severe consequences for patients due to the intereventional nature of surgical practice".
Sources: "Burnout and Medical Errors Among American Surgeons"Annals of Surgery (f/t via Athens)
How undergraduates improve compliance with handwashing
The MAPS (Measure to Achieve Patient Safety ) program was developed at UCLA Medical Centre to lead the improvement of the patient safety in the hospital as a result of the Institute of Medicine's report on the poor patient safety standards in America - patient identification and handwashing in particular.
Since 2004, 20 undergraduates and 2 student leaders have been selected each year to take part in the MAPS program. They were given training in observing compliance with handwashing guidelines and adherence to rules in patient identification. About 700-800 observations per month were reported to clinicians and departmental leads. Handwashing increased from 50% to 93% and nurses' checking of 2 patient identifiers at medication administration increased from 50% to 95%.
This program was published in Academic Medicine, the author said that MAPS program has been widely accepted by clinical staff and has made significant contribution to the UCLA's safety programs. It is also easily adaptable in other academic centres.
Source: "Observation and measurement of hand hygiene and patient identification improve compliance with patient safety practices". Academic Medicine. December 2009. 84(12):1705-1712. (f/t via Athens)
Since 2004, 20 undergraduates and 2 student leaders have been selected each year to take part in the MAPS program. They were given training in observing compliance with handwashing guidelines and adherence to rules in patient identification. About 700-800 observations per month were reported to clinicians and departmental leads. Handwashing increased from 50% to 93% and nurses' checking of 2 patient identifiers at medication administration increased from 50% to 95%.
This program was published in Academic Medicine, the author said that MAPS program has been widely accepted by clinical staff and has made significant contribution to the UCLA's safety programs. It is also easily adaptable in other academic centres.
Source: "Observation and measurement of hand hygiene and patient identification improve compliance with patient safety practices". Academic Medicine. December 2009. 84(12):1705-1712. (f/t via Athens)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Paracetamol weakens children's response to vacciantion
Paracetamol is sometimes given to infants to reduce their risk of developing fever or a fit caused by fever. In the UK, paracetamol (acetaminophen) is sold over the counter, also present in brands such as Panadol and Calpol. In the US it is more commonly available as Tylenol.
A study published in The Lancet, funded by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals of Belgium, investigated the effect of giving paracetamol to infants during and immediate after vaccination.
459 healthy infants aged between 9 and 16 weeks were recruited from 10 centres in the Czech Republic and randomised to receive either paracetamol administered every 6 to 8 hrs during the 24 hrs following vaccination or to receive no paracetamol. The parents knew the treatment assigned to their babies.
Researchers found that in both groups, fever above 39.5 degrees C was uncommon, however lower proportion of babies in the paracetamol group had temperature above 38 degrees C. After the primary vaccine doses, more paracetamol doses had to be given to the babies in the control group than the treatment group. They also found that the antibody concentrations following the primary immunisations were significantly lower in the paracetamol group than in the control group and the response varied depending on the vaccination type given.
They concluded that "Although febrile reactions significantly decreased, prophylactic administration of antipyretic drugs at the time of vaccination should not be routinely recommended since antibody responses to several vaccine antigens were reduced."
Critics say this is an important study because there was very few published studies on this issue but further study is needed to demonstrate whether the immunity offered by flu vaccination might be reduced by paracetamol. It may be wise not to give paracetamol routinely to babies as a preventive measure.
Source: "Effect of prophylactic paracetamol administration at time of vaccination on febrile reactions and antibody responses in children: two open-label, randomised controlled trials" The Lancet 2009; 374: 1339-1350 (press release or f/t via Athens)
A study published in The Lancet, funded by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals of Belgium, investigated the effect of giving paracetamol to infants during and immediate after vaccination.
459 healthy infants aged between 9 and 16 weeks were recruited from 10 centres in the Czech Republic and randomised to receive either paracetamol administered every 6 to 8 hrs during the 24 hrs following vaccination or to receive no paracetamol. The parents knew the treatment assigned to their babies.
Researchers found that in both groups, fever above 39.5 degrees C was uncommon, however lower proportion of babies in the paracetamol group had temperature above 38 degrees C. After the primary vaccine doses, more paracetamol doses had to be given to the babies in the control group than the treatment group. They also found that the antibody concentrations following the primary immunisations were significantly lower in the paracetamol group than in the control group and the response varied depending on the vaccination type given.
They concluded that "Although febrile reactions significantly decreased, prophylactic administration of antipyretic drugs at the time of vaccination should not be routinely recommended since antibody responses to several vaccine antigens were reduced."
Critics say this is an important study because there was very few published studies on this issue but further study is needed to demonstrate whether the immunity offered by flu vaccination might be reduced by paracetamol. It may be wise not to give paracetamol routinely to babies as a preventive measure.
Source: "Effect of prophylactic paracetamol administration at time of vaccination on febrile reactions and antibody responses in children: two open-label, randomised controlled trials" The Lancet 2009; 374: 1339-1350 (press release or f/t via Athens)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
To screen or not to screen for cancer ?
For decades, people always believe cancer screening saves lives, but a study published in JAMA last week expressed concerns about the harm caused on patients who undergo breast and prostate cancer screening.
Dr Laura Esserman and colleagues who carried out the study found that screening often finds harmless or non-life-threatening tumors that could have gone unnoticed, this has led to huge increase in cancer diagnosis and unnecessary and aggressive treatment for patients while the most lethal, fast-growing cancers are often missed.
They reported 40% increase in breast cancer diagnosis but only 10% decline in late stage cancers. The rate of breast cancer overdiagnosis is as high as 1 in 3 for non-invasive cancers. Similarly, diagnosis in prostate cancer rocketed with the PSA test introduced in the 1980s, but most men with high PSA level turn out not to have cancer. Patients diagnosed with these cancers are often aggressivley and overtreated with radiation and surgery leading to long term harm.
The authors pointed out that the dilemma for breast and prostate cancer is that it is difficult to distingush dangerous cancers from harmless ones and the idea that some cancers are not dangerous and might go away on their own is not always accepted.
Although routine screening has identified more early stage cancers, it has not led to a corresponding reduction in mortality rate in breast and prostate cancer. The study concluded that "screening has value but we need to undertsand what it can and cannot do......., less screening is not necessarily a bad thing" and urged clinicians to rethink the use of breast and prostate cancer screening.
The American Cancer Society (ACS), as a result of the findings of this study, has acknowledged that the benefits of early screening has been overstated.
Source: "Rethinking screening for breast cancer and prostate cancer" JAMA. 2009;302(15): 1685-1692. (f/t via Athens)
Dr Laura Esserman and colleagues who carried out the study found that screening often finds harmless or non-life-threatening tumors that could have gone unnoticed, this has led to huge increase in cancer diagnosis and unnecessary and aggressive treatment for patients while the most lethal, fast-growing cancers are often missed.
They reported 40% increase in breast cancer diagnosis but only 10% decline in late stage cancers. The rate of breast cancer overdiagnosis is as high as 1 in 3 for non-invasive cancers. Similarly, diagnosis in prostate cancer rocketed with the PSA test introduced in the 1980s, but most men with high PSA level turn out not to have cancer. Patients diagnosed with these cancers are often aggressivley and overtreated with radiation and surgery leading to long term harm.
The authors pointed out that the dilemma for breast and prostate cancer is that it is difficult to distingush dangerous cancers from harmless ones and the idea that some cancers are not dangerous and might go away on their own is not always accepted.
Although routine screening has identified more early stage cancers, it has not led to a corresponding reduction in mortality rate in breast and prostate cancer. The study concluded that "screening has value but we need to undertsand what it can and cannot do......., less screening is not necessarily a bad thing" and urged clinicians to rethink the use of breast and prostate cancer screening.
The American Cancer Society (ACS), as a result of the findings of this study, has acknowledged that the benefits of early screening has been overstated.
Source: "Rethinking screening for breast cancer and prostate cancer" JAMA. 2009;302(15): 1685-1692. (f/t via Athens)
Minimally invasive surgery vs open surgery for prostate cancer
Despite limited data on outcome, the use of minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (MIRP) has surged as a result of aggressive marketing of the potential benefits over conventional open surgery even at greater costs.
A study published in JAMA reported mixed results. It was a population-based observational cohort study that identified nearly 2000 men who had MIRP and nearly 7000 had traditional surgery.
The researchers found that use of MIRP increased from 9% in 2003 to 43% in 2006-7. White and Asian living in high income areas are more likely to opt for MIRP. They also found that MIRP was associated with shorter hospital stay and fewer blood transfusion or other postoperative complications. However MIRP was associated with incontinence and erectile dysfunction in the long term.
The authors concluded that their findings reflected "a society and health care system enamored with new technology that increased direct and indirect health care costs but had yet to uniformly realize marketed or potential benefits during early adoption."
Source: "Comparative Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive vs Open Radical Prostatectomy". JAMA 2009;302(14):1557-1564. (f/t via Athens)
A study published in JAMA reported mixed results. It was a population-based observational cohort study that identified nearly 2000 men who had MIRP and nearly 7000 had traditional surgery.
The researchers found that use of MIRP increased from 9% in 2003 to 43% in 2006-7. White and Asian living in high income areas are more likely to opt for MIRP. They also found that MIRP was associated with shorter hospital stay and fewer blood transfusion or other postoperative complications. However MIRP was associated with incontinence and erectile dysfunction in the long term.
The authors concluded that their findings reflected "a society and health care system enamored with new technology that increased direct and indirect health care costs but had yet to uniformly realize marketed or potential benefits during early adoption."
Source: "Comparative Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive vs Open Radical Prostatectomy". JAMA 2009;302(14):1557-1564. (f/t via Athens)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Does virus cause CFS?
A new study published in Science suggested that the virus XMRV that may play a role in prostate cancer has a strong link with ME, also known as CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). It was a case control study that looked for the presence of a retrovirus in the white blood cells of people with CFS.
Researchers compared blood samples from 101 patients with CFS with those from 218 people without. They found that the virus was present in the blood of 67% of the CFS patients, compared with 3.7% of the people without CFS. They also found that the virus XMRV could be transmitted to prostate cancer cells in laboratory experiments.
They concluded that XMRV may be a contributing factor in the develoment of CFS and suggested that the virus could be responsible for some of the abnormal immune response in CFS patients. However, larger studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
Critics say this research has identified a link between XMRV virus and CFS but does not prove the virus causes CFS because it is not clear if the infection occured before the disease is developed. Other limitations of the study include small number of patients tested, there is no report on the characteristics of the healthy people whose blood samples were used and contamination of blood samples could not be ruled out completely. However, the findings would be of interests to patients and doctors.
Source:Vincent C. Lombardi 1, Francis W. Ruscetti et al "Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" Published Online October 8, 2009 Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1179052 (subscription needed)
Researchers compared blood samples from 101 patients with CFS with those from 218 people without. They found that the virus was present in the blood of 67% of the CFS patients, compared with 3.7% of the people without CFS. They also found that the virus XMRV could be transmitted to prostate cancer cells in laboratory experiments.
They concluded that XMRV may be a contributing factor in the develoment of CFS and suggested that the virus could be responsible for some of the abnormal immune response in CFS patients. However, larger studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
Critics say this research has identified a link between XMRV virus and CFS but does not prove the virus causes CFS because it is not clear if the infection occured before the disease is developed. Other limitations of the study include small number of patients tested, there is no report on the characteristics of the healthy people whose blood samples were used and contamination of blood samples could not be ruled out completely. However, the findings would be of interests to patients and doctors.
Source:Vincent C. Lombardi 1, Francis W. Ruscetti et al "Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" Published Online October 8, 2009 Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1179052 (subscription needed)
who are most vulerable to swine flu?
The NEJM published 2 papers last week on hospitalised patients with H1N1 flu. The findings help remind us who are most vulnerable to swine ful.
One group of researchers found that between June and August 2009, 722 patients with H1N1 virus infection were admitted to an ICU during the winter in Australia or New Zealand.
Of the 722 patients, 92.7% were under 65, 9.1% were pregnant women, 28.6% of the adult patients had a body-mass index (BMI) >35, 32.7 % with asthma and chronic pulmonary disease. The highest age-specific incidence of ICU admission was among infants under the age of 1 whereas the highest number of ICU admissions was among patients 25 to 49 years of age.
Source : "Critical Care Services and 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Australia and New Zealand". Published at www.nejm.org October 8, 2009 (10.1056/NEJMoa0908481)
Another group of researchers studied 272 patients who were hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 influenza in the US from April 2009 to mid-June 2009.
Of the 272 patients studied, 7% died, the median age of patients who died was 26. 45% of the patients were children under 18, and 5% were 65 or older, 73% of the patients had at least one underlying medical condition, asthma was the most common condition in both children and adults.
Source: "Hospitalized Patients with 2009 H1N1 Influenza in the United States, April–June 2009", Published at www.nejm.org October 8, 2009 (10.1056/NEJMoa0906695),
One group of researchers found that between June and August 2009, 722 patients with H1N1 virus infection were admitted to an ICU during the winter in Australia or New Zealand.
Of the 722 patients, 92.7% were under 65, 9.1% were pregnant women, 28.6% of the adult patients had a body-mass index (BMI) >35, 32.7 % with asthma and chronic pulmonary disease. The highest age-specific incidence of ICU admission was among infants under the age of 1 whereas the highest number of ICU admissions was among patients 25 to 49 years of age.
Source : "Critical Care Services and 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Australia and New Zealand". Published at www.nejm.org October 8, 2009 (10.1056/NEJMoa0908481)
Another group of researchers studied 272 patients who were hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 influenza in the US from April 2009 to mid-June 2009.
Of the 272 patients studied, 7% died, the median age of patients who died was 26. 45% of the patients were children under 18, and 5% were 65 or older, 73% of the patients had at least one underlying medical condition, asthma was the most common condition in both children and adults.
Source: "Hospitalized Patients with 2009 H1N1 Influenza in the United States, April–June 2009", Published at www.nejm.org October 8, 2009 (10.1056/NEJMoa0906695),
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Dabigatran vs warfarin - RE-LY trial
At the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in August 2009, researchers reported that a potential thrombin inhibitor, dabigatran etexilate, was more effective than warfarin in reducing strokes and embolism events in people with atrial fibrillation (AF) – a form of irregular heartbeat. The NEJM also released a simultaneous online report of this new trial.
The authors said that warfarin treatment needs regular monitoring because it can cause bleeding and other complications and argued that there is a need for a new anticoagulant drugs that are safe, effective and convenient to use. Dabigatran is already licensed for use in people having hip and knee replacement surgery.
The study, known as the RE-LY trial, the Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy, recruited over 18,000 people with AF, average age of 71, from 44 countries and 951 centres, who had at least one other risk factor for stroke. People with severe heart valve disorder, condition that increased the risk of bleeding, liver disease, poor kidney or pregnant women were excluded.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 110 mg or 150 mg of dabigatran twice a day or warfarin treatment. Participants receiving dabigatran were blinded to what they were taking but those received warfarin were not. Participants were followed up for an average of 2 years.
The researchers found that those who took dabigatran reduced their risk of stroke and systemic embolism by 34%, also reduced risk of bleeding than warfarin. They concluded that the lower dose of dabigatran was as effective as warfarin for preventing stroke and embolism events, the higher dose was more effective than warfarin for preventing these events and there was no need for regular monitoring .
Critics noted that the higher dose of dabigatran was associated with higher risk of heart attack and had more gastric symptoms when compared to warfarin. More patients discontinued taking dabigatran than those with warfarin after 1 and 2 years of follow up due to serious adverse events. They also cautioned that the design that patients and physicians knew of the treatment allocation can bias the outcomes and that long term outcomes should be explored before the drug is licensed for people with AF.
In an accompanying editorial, the author said that dabigatran had greater risk of nonhemorrhagic side effects, “patients already taking warfarin with excellent INR control have little to gain by switching to dabigatran”, however other patients who have AF and at least one additional risk factor for stroke could benefit from it.
The study was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacture of dabigatran. All outcome events were assessed by 2 independent investigators who were blinded to the treatment assigned to the participants.
Source: Connolly SJ, Ezekowitz MD, Yusuf S et al. "Dabigatran versus Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation". NEJM 2009; 361(12):1139-1151
Online editorial - Gage B. "Can We Rely on RE-LY?". NEJM August 30, 2009
The authors said that warfarin treatment needs regular monitoring because it can cause bleeding and other complications and argued that there is a need for a new anticoagulant drugs that are safe, effective and convenient to use. Dabigatran is already licensed for use in people having hip and knee replacement surgery.
The study, known as the RE-LY trial, the Randomized Evaluation of Long-term Anticoagulation Therapy, recruited over 18,000 people with AF, average age of 71, from 44 countries and 951 centres, who had at least one other risk factor for stroke. People with severe heart valve disorder, condition that increased the risk of bleeding, liver disease, poor kidney or pregnant women were excluded.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 110 mg or 150 mg of dabigatran twice a day or warfarin treatment. Participants receiving dabigatran were blinded to what they were taking but those received warfarin were not. Participants were followed up for an average of 2 years.
The researchers found that those who took dabigatran reduced their risk of stroke and systemic embolism by 34%, also reduced risk of bleeding than warfarin. They concluded that the lower dose of dabigatran was as effective as warfarin for preventing stroke and embolism events, the higher dose was more effective than warfarin for preventing these events and there was no need for regular monitoring .
Critics noted that the higher dose of dabigatran was associated with higher risk of heart attack and had more gastric symptoms when compared to warfarin. More patients discontinued taking dabigatran than those with warfarin after 1 and 2 years of follow up due to serious adverse events. They also cautioned that the design that patients and physicians knew of the treatment allocation can bias the outcomes and that long term outcomes should be explored before the drug is licensed for people with AF.
In an accompanying editorial, the author said that dabigatran had greater risk of nonhemorrhagic side effects, “patients already taking warfarin with excellent INR control have little to gain by switching to dabigatran”, however other patients who have AF and at least one additional risk factor for stroke could benefit from it.
The study was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacture of dabigatran. All outcome events were assessed by 2 independent investigators who were blinded to the treatment assigned to the participants.
Source: Connolly SJ, Ezekowitz MD, Yusuf S et al. "Dabigatran versus Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation". NEJM 2009; 361(12):1139-1151
Online editorial - Gage B. "Can We Rely on RE-LY?". NEJM August 30, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
telomeres and the 2009 Nobel Prize
3 American scientists, Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Carol W. Greider and Jack W Szostak, won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their research into telomeres and telomerase that led to new insights into aging, cancers and some inherited disease and could lead to new treatments for the diseases.
Their work solved one of the mysteries of how cells duplicate without losing pieces of the chromosomes. Chromosomes are strands of DNA that carry genes. Blackburn found that at the end of each of the chromosomes was the repeating DNA sequence – CCCCAA. Szostak had developed mini-chromosomes and found that each time the cells divided, the mini-chromosomes degraded and eventually vanished completely.
Blackburn and Szostak collaborated in 1980 and made mini-chromosomes with the CCCCAA sequences at either end. They found that when these were injected into yeast, the DNA sequence protected the chromosomes when they were copied. They called the caps “telomeres”. In 1984, Greider, Blackburn’s student, discovered the enzyme, “telomerase”, that makes telomeres.
Further studies discovered that healthy telomeres delayed the aging process in cells, prompting research into anti-aging treatments. Related studies found that defective telomeres had affected the division of bone marrow stem cells and overactive telomerase was associated with the development of cancer.
However, a member of the Prize Committee said that large questions remain to be answered about the working of telomeres and telomerase. Merck, a drug company, is currently running a trial of a cancer vaccine designed to train the body to attack tumor cells that produce telomerase.
Their work solved one of the mysteries of how cells duplicate without losing pieces of the chromosomes. Chromosomes are strands of DNA that carry genes. Blackburn found that at the end of each of the chromosomes was the repeating DNA sequence – CCCCAA. Szostak had developed mini-chromosomes and found that each time the cells divided, the mini-chromosomes degraded and eventually vanished completely.
Blackburn and Szostak collaborated in 1980 and made mini-chromosomes with the CCCCAA sequences at either end. They found that when these were injected into yeast, the DNA sequence protected the chromosomes when they were copied. They called the caps “telomeres”. In 1984, Greider, Blackburn’s student, discovered the enzyme, “telomerase”, that makes telomeres.
Further studies discovered that healthy telomeres delayed the aging process in cells, prompting research into anti-aging treatments. Related studies found that defective telomeres had affected the division of bone marrow stem cells and overactive telomerase was associated with the development of cancer.
However, a member of the Prize Committee said that large questions remain to be answered about the working of telomeres and telomerase. Merck, a drug company, is currently running a trial of a cancer vaccine designed to train the body to attack tumor cells that produce telomerase.
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