Community water fluoridation and health outcomes in England: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Six million people in England live in areas where the level of fluoride in water is adjusted to reduce the significant public health burden of dental caries. The dental effects of fluoride are well established, but evidence for suggested adverse health effects is limited, with a lack of rigorous small area population studies that control for confounding. This study aims to test the association between water fluoridation schemes and selected health outcomes using the best available routine data sources.

The use of cervical screening history data to interpret cervical cancer incidence trends.

Background: Regional Cervical Screening Quality Assurance Reference Centres maintain and improve the quality of their local cervical screening programmes by monitoring standards based on a range of outcome measures. The classification of invasive cervical cancer screening histories can aid the interpretation of cervical cancer incidence trends in cervical screening services.

Methods: Cervical cancer incidence rates were calculated for cytology laboratory catchment areas, which reflected where local general practitioners sent cervical samples.

Treatment of faecal impaction with polyethelene glycol plus electrolytes (PGE + E) followed by a double-blind comparison of PEG + E versus lactulose as maintenance therapy.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of polyethylene glycol 3350 plus electrolytes (PEG + E; Movicol) as oral monotherapy in the treatment of faecal impaction in children, and to compare PEG + E with lactulose as maintenance therapy in a randomised trial.

Patients And Methods: An initial open-label study of PEG + E in the inpatient treatment of faecal impaction (phase 1), followed by a randomised, double-blind comparison between PEG + E and lactulose for maintenance treatment of constipation over a 3-month period (phase 2) in children aged 2 to 11 years with a clinical diagnosis of faecal impaction.

Results: Disimpaction on PEG + E was achieved in 58 (92%) of 63 of children (89% of 2-4 year olds and 94% of 5-11 year olds) without additional interventions.

Coexistence of intracranial and spinal cavernous malformations: a study of prevalence and natural history.

Object: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of intracranial cavernous malformations (CMs) in a large series of predominantly Caucasian patients with spinal cord CMs. The authors also studied the natural history of spinal CMs in patients who were treated nonoperatively.

Methods: The medical records of 67 consecutive patients (32 female and 35 male patients) in whom a spinal CM was diagnosed between 1994 and 2002 were reviewed.

Transthoracic discectomy without interbody fusion.

Background: Transthoracic discectomy is an established surgical procedure for the treatment of thoracic disk disease. Most authors advocate interbody fusion after transthoracic discectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any adverse consequences in foregoing interbody fusion after transthoracic discectomy.

Occurrence of microbial indicators and Clostridium perfringens in wastewater, water column samples, sediments, drinking water, and Weddell seal feces collected at McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

McMurdo Station, Antarctica, has discharged untreated sewage into McMurdo Sound for decades. Previous studies delineated the impacted area, which included the drinking water intake, by using total coliform and Clostridium perfringens concentrations. The estimation of risk to humans in contact with the impacted and potable waters may be greater than presumed, as these microbial indicators may not be the most appropriate for this environment.