Induction chemotherapy followed by standard chemoradiotherapy versus standard chemoradiotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (GCIG INTERLACE): an international, multicentre, randomised phase 3 trial.

Background: Locally advanced cervical cancer is treated with chemoradiotherapy (standard of care), but many patients still relapse and die from metastatic disease. We investigated chemoradiotherapy with or without induction chemotherapy to determine whether induction chemotherapy improves both progression-free survival and overall survival.

Methods: The INTERLACE trial was a multicentre, randomised phase 3 trial done at 32 medical centres in Brazil, India, Italy, Mexico, and the UK.

The Impact of Kundalini Yoga on Cognitive Function and Memory: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Cognitive decline and dementia are significant public health challenges influenced by various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Kundalini yoga (KY) has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention to enhance cognitive function and memory in older adults at risk of cognitive decline. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effects of KY on cognitive function, memory impairment, and related neurobiological and psychological outcomes in older adults.

Impact of prostate radiotherapy on survival outcomes in clinically node-positive prostate cancer: A multicentre retrospective analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate clinical outcomes for cN1M0 prostate cancer treated with varied modalities.

Materials And Methods: Men with radiological stage cN1M0 prostate cancer on conventional imaging, treated from 2011-2019 with various modalities across four centres in the UK were included. Demographics, tumour grade and stage, and treatment details were collected.

Lung Mechanics: A Review of Solid Mechanical Elasticity in Lung Parenchyma.

The lung is the main organ of the respiratory system. Its purpose is to facilitate gas exchange (breathing). Mechanically, breathing may be described as the cyclic application of stresses acting upon the lung surface.

Development and Validation of a Mobile Clinical Decision Support Tool for the Diagnosis of Drug Allergy in Adults: The Drug Allergy App.

Background: Penicillin allergy overdiagnosis has been associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, increased antimicrobial resistance, worse clinical outcomes, and increased health care costs.

Objective: To develop and validate a questionnaire-based algorithm built in a mobile application to support clinicians in collecting accurate history of previous reactions and diagnosing drug allergy appropriately.

Methods: A survey was completed by 164 medical and nonmedical prescribers to understand barriers to best practice.

Metastatic spinal cord compression: radiotherapy outcome and dose fractionation.

Background And Purpose: No standard dose fractionation has been defined for metastatic spinal cord compression. This retrospective analysis was undertaken to explore the impact of hypofractionated treatment compared to conventional multifraction treatment.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and two consecutive patients referred to Mount Vernon Cancer Centre with metastatic spinal canal compression confirmed on MR scan in 95% with median age 68 years (range 32-90) and main primary tumour types breast (28%), prostate (28%) and lung (20%); 51% of patients were fully ambulant at diagnosis, 41% ambulant but with paraparesis and 9% had complete paraplegia.

Do steroids prevent reintubation in children with laryngotracheobronchitis?

Background: Classic laryngotrachoebronchitis (LTB) is an inflammatory process, with oedema and secretions that involve the entire laryngotracheobronchial tree. The severity of lower airway disease in African children with LTB has previously been documented. The aim of the present study was to determine whether steroids prevent reintubation in African children with classic LTB.

Disseminated strongyloidiasis in a diabetic patient.

A case of disseminated strongyloidiasis in an Indian diabetic patient who was not receiving any immunosuppressive therapy, is reported. Strongyloides stercoralis was detected in peritoneal fluid, stools and blood. To our knowledge this represents the first such case to be reported in the English literature.

Multiresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a neonatal nursery: the importance of maintenance of infection control policies and procedures in the prevention of outbreaks.

During a 3-week period, nine babies in the neonatal unit of a large teaching hospital in Durban were infected or colonized with Klebsiella pneumoniae resistant to a range of antimicrobial agents including amikacin and cefotaxime. Resistance to cefotaxime was reduced by clavulanic acid in vitro suggesting production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase activity. All the isolates had the same antibiotic resistance profile, belonged to the same serotype (K17), were non-typable with bacteriophages, and had identical plasmid profiles indicating that they belonged to the same strain.

Perceptions and knowledge about AIDS among family planning clinic attenders in Johannesburg.

Many studies assessing the impact of national AIDS prevention programmes on knowledge, attitudes and practices have been published world-wide. Most have found that, while general knowledge increased, there was little change in behaviour. A survey of a random sample of 50 women attending a family planning clinic in Johannesburg determined the current knowledge, attitudes and practices of these sexually active women, aged 20-29 years.

Neonatal group B streptococcal infections in Indian (Asian) babies in South Africa.

In this, the first report of group B streptococcal (GBS) infections in Asian neonates in South Africa, the incidence was 2.65/1000 live births over a period of 3.5 years.

Septicaemia caused by an imported strain of multiply antibiotic resistant Salmonella typhi successfully treated with ciprofloxacin.

A case of typhoid fever caused by a multiply antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella typhi is reported. The S. typhi strain was resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol and sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim.

Typhoid fever in the adult and paediatric Indian population of Durban.

The features of typhoid fever in Indian South Africans are described. In children the illness was usually uncomplicated. However, anaemia, thrombocytopenia and hypo-albuminaemia were found in both adults and children.

A laboratory-confirmed outbreak of rifampicin-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (RMRSA) in a newborn nursery.

The routine laboratory monitoring of methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at a large teaching hospital led to the detection of a new, multiply-resistant strain of MRSA, which was resistant not only to penicillin, oxacillin, methicillin, cephamandole, erythromycin, tetracycline, kanamycin and gentamicin but also to rifampicin and sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim. The rifampicin-methicillin resistant strain of S. aureus (RMRSA) was first detected in blood cultures of babies from the newborn nursery.

Comparison of passive haemagglutination test with Widal agglutination test for serological diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area.

A passive haemagglutination test, using sheep red blood cells sensitised with Salmonella typhi lipopolysaccharide, was compared with the Widal test for the serological diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area. The results obtained on sera from 152 patients with bacteriologically confirmed typhoid and 183 patients who did not have typhoid were analysed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, simplicity, and rapidity of the respective tests. The passive haemagglutination test was found to be more sensitive (80%) than the S typhi O antigen (71%) but marginally less sensitive than the H antigen (82%) of the Widal test.