Abstract Objectives To explore families’ experiences of deceased organ donation and examine the perceived influence of participation in the donation process on grief and bereavement in Spain. Design Qualitative study with a phenomenological orientation, conducted as the qualitative component of a broader mixed-method prospective cohort study, using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis informed by an abductive approach. Setting The study was conducted in Spain with relatives of patients declared dead by neurological or circulatory criteria following potential deceased organ donation…
Objectives To estimate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in UK middle-aged adults, identify patient-level factors associated with PIP and its associations with subsequent primary care utilisation and mortality. Design A prospective observational cohort study. Setting English routinely collected primary care electronic health record data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum. The follow-up period was from 1 January 2018 to 7 February 2023. Participants Randomly selected individuals (n=1 200 000) who were aged 45–64 years on 1 January 2018. Exposure…
Objective Financial toxicity (FT) poses a major challenge in cancer treatment. This study aimed to explore oncologists’ attitudes towards FT, the barriers they face in managing it and potential solutions. Design The study employed an exploratory qualitative design using inductive thematic analysis. Setting The study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Participants Thirteen oncologists were approached; 12 participated. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Eligible participants were all licensed oncologists who signed a written consent form…
Introduction Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is common and remains the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. Antibiotics remain the mainstay of treatment, but organisms are often not identified, necessitating empirical treatment. Current treatment guidelines recommend combination therapy with beta-lactams and macrolides or monotherapy with fluoroquinolones for non-severe CAP. However, rising antibiotic resistance and safety concerns have led to increased doxycycline use, despite limited evidence supporting its efficacy. Our goal is to conduct a pragmatic, open-label, randomised…
Introduction MR enterography (MRE) and intestinal ultrasound (IUS) are used to assess therapeutic response in Crohn’s disease (CD) follow-up. There is, however, no clear guidance regarding which modality should be used for individual patients or if they are interchangeable. Therefore, clinical practice varies. We will compare the accuracy of MRE and IUS to classify treatment response in CD. Methods and analysis Multicentre, non-randomised, multiple arm, prospective cohort study of luminal CD patients aged 16 years or older being treated with steroids, immunomodulators, biologics/biosimilars or…
Introduction Thoracic paravertebral block (PVB) is widely used for analgesia but carries risks such as pneumothorax and hypotension. Intertransverse process block (ITPB) is a newer alternative that may offer comparable analgesia with a potentially improved safety profile. However, few studies have compared the two from the patient’s perspective, and none have assessed ultrasound-guided ITPB against PVB for postoperative recovery quality in elderly patients. Methods and analysis This two-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial will enrol 152 elderly patients (age…
Objectives The objective of this study is to explore the lived experiences of triage nurses. Primary and secondary outcomes The primary and secondary outcomes are the identification of barriers and facilitators that influence effective triage practice in a tertiary care centre in a low- and middle-income country. Design A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted, grounded in a realistic ontology, which assumes that reality is subjective and constructed through individual experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nursing staff until data saturation was achieved…
Introduction Healthcare systems face increasing strain from population ageing, multimorbidity and rising emergency department (ED) attendances. Acute medical units (AMUs) have been adopted internationally to improve patient flow and reduce hospital length of stay, but prospective evidence on their clinical and economic effectiveness remains limited, particularly in Singapore. This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of an AMU model compared with usual care in the general ward at a Singapore tertiary hospital. Methods and analysis This is an ongoing single-centre…
Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality. Most existing CVD prediction tools use a baseline survival modelling framework, in which each predictor is represented by a single value recorded at the start of follow-up. Although risk calculators can be re-run using updated values, these models do not explicitly use the longitudinal, irregularly recorded information in primary-care electronic medical records (EMRs). Dynamic modelling approaches have the potential to generate updated CVD risk estimates at each general practitioner (GP)…
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law on March 27, 2020 to aid response efforts and ease the economic impact of COVID-19.
Background: Canadian emergency staff have been dealing with record patient attendances, long wait times, bed blocking, and department overcrowding. We sought to report temporal trends in Canadian emergency physician burnout, and describe the impact of emergency medicine practice on physician well-being. Methods: We undertook a longitudinal study on Canadian emergency physician wellness that enrolled participants in April 2020. Participants were invited to 3 follow-up surveys in November 2020, September 2022, and January 2025. The primary outcomes were emotional exhaustion, depersonalization…
As patients increasingly bring AI chatbot advice into exam rooms, where does liability land when that advice goes wrong? Health law attorney Meghan O’Connor said the answer still isn’t clear, but silence is the riskiest response for providers. The post What Happens When Patients Trust AI Over Their Doctor? appeared first on MedCity News .
Apnimed has detailed its plans for an initial public offering, with the biotech intending to raise as much as $160 million to fund the launch of its sleep apnea pill.
MapLight Therapeutics’ stock plummeted more than 60% this morning after the neuro outfit dropped mixed results for a phase 2 trial of its experimental schizophrenia treatment.