Pulse oximetry screening for congenital heart defects in newborn infants: an evaluation of acceptability to mothers.

Background: Introducing neonatal screening procedures may not be readily accepted by parents and may increase anxiety. The acceptability of pulse oximetry screening to parents has not been previously reported.

Objective: To assess maternal acceptability of pulse oximetry screening for congenital heart defects and to identify factors predictive of participation in screening.

Pulse oximetry as a screening test for congenital heart defects in newborn infants: a test accuracy study with evaluation of acceptability and cost-effectiveness.

Background: Screening for congenital heart defects (CHDs) relies on antenatal ultrasound and postnatal clinical examination; however, life-threatening defects often go undetected.

Objective: To determine the accuracy, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of pulse oximetry as a screening test for CHDs in newborn infants.

Design: A test accuracy study determined the accuracy of pulse oximetry.

Pulse oximetry as a screening test for congenital heart defects in newborn infants: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Objective: To undertake a cost-effectiveness analysis that compares pulse oximetry as an adjunct to clinical examination with clinical examination alone in newborn screening for congenital heart defects (CHDs).

Design: Model-based economic evaluation using accuracy and cost data from a primary study supplemented from published sources taking an NHS perspective.

Setting: Six large maternity units in the UK.

Pulse oximetry screening for congenital heart defects in newborn infants (PulseOx): a test accuracy study.

Background: Screening for congenital heart defects relies on antenatal ultrasonography and postnatal clinical examination; however, life-threatening defects often are not detected. We prospectively assessed the accuracy of pulse oximetry as a screening test for congenital heart defects.

Methods: In six maternity units in the UK, asymptomatic newborn babies (gestation >34 weeks) were screened with pulse oximetry before discharge.

Meta-analysis of the comparative efficacy and safety of adjuvant treatment to levodopa in later Parkinson's disease.

Background: Levodopa initially provides good symptomatic control of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but motor complications often develop after long-term use. Other classes of antiparkinsonian drugs including dopamine agonists, catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors, or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors are then added as adjuvant therapy. It is unclear whether one class of drug is more effective than another.

A randomised controlled trial of treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

The cause of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) remains unknown, and no consensus exists on how patients should be monitored and treated. Acetazolamide is a common treatment but has never been examined in a randomised controlled trial. The objectives of this pilot trial are to prospectively evaluate the use of acetazolamide, to explore various outcome measures and to inform the design of a definitive trial in IIH.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of adjuvant treatment to levodopa therapy in Parkinson s disease patients with motor complications.

Background: One of the complications of long-term treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) with levodopa is the development of motor complications. Generally, when motor complications develop, clinicians add in an additional drug (to the levodopa regimen) from one of three other classes of anti-Parkinsonian treatments (dopamine agonists, catechol-O-methyl transferase inhibitors (COMTIs) or monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors (MAOBIs)). However, despite trials having shown that these drugs are beneficial compared to placebo, it remains unclear as to the best way to treat patients experiencing motor complications and whether one class of drug is more effective than another.

Pilot randomised controlled trial of occupational therapy to optimise independence in Parkinson's disease: the PD OT trial.

Objective: To perform a pilot trial of occupational therapy (OT) to optimise functional independence in Parkinson disease (PD) to assess accrual/withdrawal rates, acceptability, outcome measures, and inform sample-size calculation.

Method: Non-demented patients with idiopathic PD and difficulties with activities of daily living (ADL) were recruited provided they had not received OT in the last 2 years and/or physiotherapy in the last year. Patients were randomised to immediate OT or OT after completion of the trial.