General practitioner prescribing of single and combination nicotine replacement therapy in the UK: a retrospective database study.

Background: Guidance in England and Wales recommends that nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), varenicline or bupropion should be offered for smoking cessation support. Research on general practitioner (GP) NRT prescribing patterns for smoking cessation is lacking in the published literature.

Methods: UK primary care electronic health records were retrospectively analysed to identify the most common GP initiated NRT prescribing patterns, characterise people who receive NRT and determine whether NRTs given in a first quit attempt are different from subsequent attempts.

The efficacy and safety of oral anticoagulants in warfarin-suitable patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation: systematic review and meta-analysis.

The novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) apixaban, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban have been recently indicated for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) . Due to a lack of direct head-to-head trials comparing the NOACs, the current systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) were conducted to assess their relative efficacy and safety. Three phase III randomized controlled trials enrolling 50 578 patients were included.

The impact of smoking in the home on the health outcomes of non-smoker occupants in the UK.

Smoking in the home remains a key source of exposure to secondhand smoke for non-smokers, particularly since the UK public smoking ban in 2007. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all UK evidence on the impact of secondhand smoke exposure in the home on health and behavioural outcomes in non-smoker occupants. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify all relevant UK empirical studies from 2000 to June 2011.

Comparisons of high-dose and combination nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, and bupropion for smoking cessation: a systematic review and multiple treatment meta-analysis.

Aim: This review compared the effect of high-dose nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and combinations of NRT for increasing smoking abstinence rates compared to standard-dose NRT patch, varenicline, and bupropion on smoking abstinence.

Methods: Ten electronic databases were searched (up to January 2012) for randomized controlled trials (RCT) of standard-dose (≤ 22 mg) or high-dose nicotine patch therapy (> 22 mg), combination NRT (e.g.

Real world evaluation of three models of NHS smoking cessation service in England.

Background: NHS Stop Smoking Services provide various options for support and counselling. Most services have evolved to suit local needs without any retrospective evaluation of their efficiency.Three local service evaluations were carried out at Bournemouth & Poole Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) (PCT1), NHS South East Essex (PCT2) and NHS Warwickshire (PCT3) to describe the structure and outcomes associated with different services.

The efficacy of licensed-indication use of donepezil and memantine monotherapies for treating behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in patients with Alzheimer's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background/aims: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) greatly increase caregiver burden. The abilities of donepezil and memantine to manage BPSD within their licensed indications in AD were compared.

Methods: A systematic review, random effects meta-analysis and Bucher indirect comparison were conducted.

Smoking cessation reduces postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: We aimed to review randomized trials and observational evidence to establish the effect of preoperative smoking cessation on postoperative complications and to determine if there is an optimal cessation period before surgery.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of all randomized trials evaluating the effect of smoking cessation on postoperative complications and all observational studies evaluating the risk of complications among past smokers compared with current smokers. We searched independently, in duplicate, 10 electronic databases and the bibliographies of relevant reviews.

Adverse events associated with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation. A systematic review and meta-analysis of one hundred and twenty studies involving 177,390 individuals.

Background: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is the most common form of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy and has proven efficacy for the treatment of tobacco dependence. Although expectations of mild adverse effects have been observed to be independent predictors of reduced motivation to use NRT, adverse effects associated with NRT have not been precisely quantified.

Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of NRT versus inert controls and all observational studies to determine the magnitude of reported adverse effects with NRT.

Safety and tolerability of donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine for patients with Alzheimer's disease: systematic review of the 'real-world' evidence.

Background/aims: The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the safety and tolerability of the cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in routine clinical practice.

Methods: Electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, EMBASE; accessed October 2008) and manual bibliographic searches were conducted to identify head-to-head non-randomised studies examining ChEIs for the treatment of AD. Data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers.

Indirect comparison of once daily insulin detemir and glargine in reducing weight gain and hypoglycaemic episodes when administered in addition to conventional oral anti-diabetic therapy in patients with type-2 diabetes.

Aims: Basal insulin administered to type-2 diabetic patients with poor glycaemic control when managed with oral anti-diabetics (OADs) alone can lead to an increased risk of weight gain and hypoglycaemia. In the absence of head-to-head trials, an indirect comparison of the once-daily insulin detemir with insulin glargine was conducted on the following outcomes: weight gain, hypoglycaemic episodes, and HbA(1c).

Methods: Parallel-group randomised controlled trials of at least 20 weeks duration that compared once-daily evening glargine or detemir with a common comparator, neutral protamine Hagedorn insulin (evening), were selected.

Cigarette smoking in an adolescent psychiatric population.

Objective: To examine the relationship between cigarette smoking and psychiatric symptomatology in an outpatient psychiatric population of adolescents.

Method: A retrospective analysis was done of 934 patient charts at an outpatient psychiatric centre.

Results: 48.

[Recurrent pneumothorax in interstitial lung disease, anogenital and abdominal wall exanthema and secondary amenorrhea in a 20-year-old patient. Langerhans-cell histiocytosis].

A 20-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital because of a pneumothorax. A secondary amenorrhea was coexisting. On the abdominal wall and in the anogenital area a maculopapular exanthema was visible.