Development of high-throughput ATR-FTIR technology for rapid triage of brain cancer.

Non-specific symptoms, as well as the lack of a cost-effective test to triage patients in primary care, has resulted in increased time-to-diagnosis and a poor prognosis for brain cancer patients. A rapid, cost-effective, triage test could significantly improve this patient pathway. A blood test using attenuated total reflection (ATR)-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the detection of brain cancer, alongside machine learning technology, is advancing towards clinical translation.

Is Infrared Spectroscopy Ready for the Clinic?

Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) represents an attractive molecular diagnostic modality for translation to the clinic, where comprehensive chemical profiling of biological samples may revolutionize a myriad of pathways in clinical settings. Principally, FT-IR provides a rapid, cost-effective platform to obtain a molecular fingerprint of clinical samples based on vibrational transitions of chemical bonds upon interaction with infrared light. To date, considerable research activities have demonstrated competitive to superior performance of FT-IR strategies in comparison to conventional techniques, with particular promise for earlier, accessible disease diagnostics, thereby improving patient outcomes.

Peri-operative radiation exposure: Are overweight patients at increased risks?

The aim of this study was to identify if there was a correlation between body mass index (BMI) and intra-operative radiation exposure. A retrospective review of 81 patients who had sliding hip screw fixation for femoral neck fractures in one year was completed, recording body mass index (BMI), screening time, dose area product (DAP), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, seniority of operating surgeon and complexity of the fracture configuration. There was a statistically significant correlation between dose area product and BMI.

Intrmedullary versus extramedullary fixation of lateral malleolus fractures.

Introduction: Intramedullary nails (IM nails) now include dedicated fibular nails for lateral malleolus fractures. This study reviewed nail versus plate for fixation of unstable ankle fractures.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of published reports.

Corticosteroid injection of the arthritic hip: what is the indication?

Forty-four patients who had image-guided corticosteroid injection of the hip were reviewed as part of a service improvement project to ascertain the medium term benefit of the procedure. Injections were indicated for treatment of hip pain or as part of a diagnostic work up to differentiate hip from back pain. At 42-month review, 39 patients fulfilled the criteria for the study.