Mixed-methods study protocol: do national reporting and learning system medication incidents in palliative care reflect patient and carer concerns about medication management and safety?

Introduction: Approximately 20% of serious safety incidents involving palliative patients relate to medication. These are disproportionately reported when patients are in their usual residence when compared with hospital or hospice. While patient safety incident reporting systems can support professional learning, it is unclear whether these reports encompass patient and carer concerns with palliative medications or interpersonal safety.

How do the epidemiology of paediatric methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia differ?

Purpose: To examine whether the epidemiology of bacteraemia caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) differed in children aged <1 year and in comparison to older age groups.

Methodology: English mandatory MRSA and MSSA surveillance data from 2006 and 2011, respectively, were collected.

Mandatory surveillance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia in England: the first 10 years.

Since 2001 it has been mandatory for acute hospital Trusts (groups of hospitals under the same management) in England to report all cases of bacteraemia due to Staphylococcus aureus together with information on their susceptibility or resistance to methicillin. This allowed the incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia (expressed as the number of cases per 1000 occupied bed days) to be determined for each Trust.

Nevirapine concentrations in HIV-infected children treated with divided fixed-dose combination antiretroviral tablets in Malawi and Zambia.

Objective: To investigate nevirapine concentrations in African HIV-infected children receiving divided Triomune tablets (stavudine+lamivudine+nevirapine).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Steady-state plasma nevirapine concentrations were determined in Malawian and Zambian children aged 8 months to 18 years receiving Triomune in routine outpatient settings.

A Y chromosome census of the British Isles.

The degree of population replacement in the British Isles associated with cultural changes has been extensively debated. Recent work has demonstrated that comparisons of genetic variation in the British Isles and on the European Continent can illuminate specific demographic processes in the history of the British Isles. For example, Wilson et al.