Involving users in the design of a randomised controlled trial of an intervention to promote early presentation in breast cancer: qualitative study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore women's views of the design of a large pragmatic cost-effectiveness randomised controlled trial of the policy of offering a health professional-delivered intervention to promote early presentation with breast symptoms in older women and thereby improve survival, with a view to informing protocol development. The trial will recruit over 100,000 healthy women aged 67+, and outcome data will be collected on those who develop breast cancer. The scale of the trial and the need for long-term follow-up presented a number of design challenges in relation to obtaining consent, ascertaining and contacting participants who developed breast cancer, and collecting outcome data.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex differentiation by genomic deletion patterns with multiplex polymerase chain reaction and melting analysis.

Differentiation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) species is important for patient management. We developed a genomic deletion assay based on multiplex polymerase chain reaction with melting temperature analysis that correctly identified 124 (96%) of 129 MTC isolates. This assay is a fast single-tube method to differentiate members of MTC.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of rifabutin in combination with lopinavir-ritonavir in patients with HIV infection and active tuberculosis.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated tuberculosis is difficult to treat, given the propensity for drug interactions between the rifamycins and the antiretroviral drugs. We examined the pharmacokinetics of rifabutin before and after the addition of lopinavir-ritonavir.

Methods: We analyzed 10 patients with HIV infection and active tuberculosis in a state tuberculosis hospital.

A volunteer companion-observer intervention reduces falls on an acute aged care ward.

Purpose: Falls are the most frequently reported adverse event in hospitalised patients and carry a risk of great harm for the frail elderly. This intervention aimed to prevent high-risk in-patients on an acute aged care ward from falling.

Design/methodology/approach: Patients assessed at high falls risk were accommodated in a room staffed by volunteer companion-observers.