RECENT NEWS

Researchers developed a novel device that detects abnormal breathing sounds to predict whether an ICU patient is likely to suffer from respiratory complications after removal from a mechanical ventilator, alerting intensive care teams to the need for emergency interventions at an early phase after extubation.

A team of researchers from China, Taiwan and Australia aimed to determine whether metformin use was associated with a lower risk of total knee replacement (TKR) or total hip replacement (THR), as evidence to date has been sparse and inconclusive.

Patients with cancer and children born with treatable rare genetic diseases are set to benefit from earlier diagnosis and faster access to treatment, following a £175 million boost to cutting-edge genomics research announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary.

Clinithink has partnered with AstraZeneca Oncology UK in a new project that aims to find patients with lung cancer at an early stage where treatment can be more effective.

MEDICA 2022 has once again proven its prominence as a top-drawer trade event for UK life science innovators who are export-ready and looking to grow.

Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. However, the latest research suggests that there may be a link to Vitamin D deficiency.

Valproate is approved in the UK to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Because of the known risk of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders following use of valproate in pregnancy, valproate should only be used in women of child-bearing potential if a Pregnancy Prevention Programme is in place, which includes a requirement to use effective contraception.

Levels of a particular antibody in the blood could predict how well people with lupus respond to a new treatment approach, according to UCLH and UCL research.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is projected to continue rising. Among the high-risk groups are women who experienced diabetes during pregnancy, commonly known as gestational diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes. Compared to the general healthy female population, these women may face a ten-fold higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Danielle Quintana, certified perioperative nurse and assistant clinical professor at the University of Houston College of Nursing, has conducted the first concept analysis on surgical conscience among perioperative nurses, those charged with overseeing surgical safety and sterile fields, or asepsis (the absence of bacteria, viruses and other organisms), inside hospital operating rooms.

It is well-known exercise has many benefits, but new Edith Cowan University (ECU) research has revealed just how critically important it can be – even for people with advanced cancer.

Babies born to black mothers in richer countries are more likely to be stillborn or die in the first four weeks of life than those born to white women, NIHR-funded research finds.

BMA council chair, Professor Philip Banfield, has criticised the Government’s plans to “unlock capacity in the independent health sector” to tackle the COVID backlog. He claims that placing further reliance on the private sector is “an admission by this Government that the NHS is not adequately funded or resourced”.

NHS England has reported that NHS staff continue to make progress on ambitious catch-up plans, with elective waiting lists for 18 weeks and 18 months reducing in October. Tens of thousands more people received the diagnostic tests and checks they needed in October, with over 63,000 more compared to the previous month (2,055,449 in October – up from 1,992,370 in September.)

The Government says it will cut red tape in order to speed up research into motor neurone disease (MND) across the UK, with immediate investment, so NHS patients can benefit from cutting-edge treatment and medicines.

The latest data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) that new HIV diagnoses in England fell by nearly a third between 2019 and 2021 (from 2,986 to 2,023).

New UCAS figures show a 10% fall in the number of students accepted onto UK nursing courses. The RCN claims people are being put off nursing by ‘the poor and unfair treatment the profession gets, often at the hands of politicians.’

Pregnant women and pregnant people could suffer a potentially fatal blood vessel blockage if their risk is not properly assessed during pregnancy and the first six weeks after birth, says HSIB’s latest report.

Point of care diagnostics must not be overlooked if the NHS is to achieve its goal of becoming the world’s first net zero health service. The majority of the workforce (83%) is already persuaded of the climate benefits of adopting the new technology, according to a survey of 200 GPs in the UK.

The Health and Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, claims that patients will have quicker access to treatment and lifesaving diagnostic tests, close to home, through the launch of a new Elective Recovery Taskforce and approval of 19 one-stop-shops for tests, checks and scans.