Prevalence and patient characteristics associated with cardiovascular disease risk factor screening in UK primary care for people with severe mental illness: an electronic healthcare record study.

Background: People with severe mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and initiatives for CVD risk factor screening in the UK have not reduced disparities.

Objectives: To describe the annual screening prevalence for CVD risk factors in people with SMI from April 2000 to March 2018, and to identify factors associated with receiving no screening and regular screening.

Methods: We identified adults with a diagnosis of SMI (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or 'other psychosis') from UK primary care records in Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

The PANDEM-2 Simulation Exercise: Training the Coordinated Response to a Large-Scale Pandemic in 2 European Public Health Emergency Operations Centers.

Objective: In the course of the EU funded Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PANDEM-2) project, a functional exercise (FX) was conducted to train the coordinated response to a large-scale pandemic event in Europe by using new IT solutions developed by the project. This report provides an overview of the steps involved in planning, conducting, and evaluating the FX.

Methods: The FX design was based on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) simulation exercise cycle for public health settings and was carried out over 2 days in the German and Dutch national public health institutes (PHI), with support from other consortium PHIs.

Serositis post-pacemaker implantation.

We describe a rare case of serositis complicating permanent pacemaker implantation presenting 4 weeks postinsertion. A high index of suspicion for this potentially fatal complication is warranted to enable prompt diagnosis and treatment. Serositis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with chest pain, fever or fatigue following recent permanent pacemaker implantation, particularly if there are elevated inflammatory markers.

Pacific Northwest native plants and native cultivars, part I: pollinator visitation.

Planting native flora is a popular conservation strategy for pollinators. When searching for native plants, consumers may encounter cultivars of native plants, which can have different phenotypic traits than plants found in wild populations ("wild-type native plants"). Previous research evaluating pollinator visitation to wild-type native plants and native cultivars has yielded mixed results, in terms of whether their visitation rates are similar or distinct.

State-Level Helmet Use Laws, Helmet Use, and Head Injuries in EMS Patients Involved in Motorcycle Collisions.

Objectives: Motorcycle helmets save lives and reduce serious injury after motorcycle collisions (MCC). In 2022, 18 states had laws requiring helmet use by motorcyclists aged ≥21 years. Our objective was to compare helmet use and head trauma in emergency medical services (EMS) patients involved in MCC in states with and without helmet use laws.