Publications by authors named "Lohr P"

Background: Recent media attention has been given to an apparent shift away from hormonal methods of contraception. While an increase in fertility awareness-based or 'natural' family planning methods is reported in the grey literature, there are no robust data to determine any such trend in the UK.

Methods: We compared self-reported contraceptive use at conception among patients presenting for abortion at British Pregnancy Advisory Service from January to June 2018 (N=33 495) and January to June 2023 (N=55 055) using chi-square (χ) tests of association.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Ectopic pregnancies are uncommon among women presenting for abortion. However, where suspected, rapid referral for definitive diagnosis is essential to prevent harm. We assessed whether implementation of a standardised decision-making tool, an algorithmic representation of the clinical decisions and associated actions defined in policy, in a British abortion service was associated with a reduction in missed opportunities to escalate care where indicated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To explore experiences of pain during medical abortion and provide patient-centred recommendations for improving abortion experience and pain counselling.

Methods: We invited patients of British Pregnancy Advisory Service who underwent medical abortion up to 10 weeks' gestation to participate in an online, English language questionnaire from November 2021 to March 2022. Participants answered questions about pain, method preference, abortion experience, advice, and how they would describe pain experienced to a friend.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Use of telemedicine in abortion care is safe and effective. Patient satisfaction with telemedically supported abortion is high, but as use expands in Britain, little is known about patients' or health professionals' views on how it is best used. We sought the views of both groups on telemedicine's role in abortion provision and how its use might be optimised.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Models of abortion care have changed significantly in the last decade, most markedly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when home management of early medical abortion with telemedical support was approved in Britain.

Objective: Our study aimed to examine women's satisfaction with abortion care and their suggestions for improvements.

Design: Qualitative, in-depth, semi-structured interviews.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

UICC stage IV small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive malignancy without curative treatment options. Several randomized trials have demonstrated improved survival rates through the addition of checkpoint inhibitors to first-line platin-based chemotherapy. Consequently, a combination of chemo- and immunotherapy has become standard palliative treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Routine ultrasound scanning to determine gestational age and pregnancy location has long been part of pre-abortion assessment in Britain, despite not being legally required or recommended in national clinical guidelines. To support implementation of fully telemedical abortion care (implemented in Britain in April 2020), the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) issued clinical guidance for an 'as-indicated' approach to pre-abortion ultrasound, removing the need for a clinic visit. We aimed to understand patient experiences of ultrasound in abortion care by conducting a qualitative study with individuals who had abortions with and without an ultrasound scan.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is limited within abortion-related research. Possible reasons for this include concerns about engaging with a stigmatised patient group who value confidentiality and may be reluctant to re-engage with services. Structural barriers, including limited funding for abortion-related research, also prevent researchers from creating meaningful PPI opportunities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To assess patient experiences of pain management during medical abortion up to 10 weeks' gestation with opt-in versus universal codeine provision.

Methods: We invited patients who underwent medical abortion up to 10 weeks of gestation to participate in an online, anonymous, English-language survey from November 2021 to March 2022. We performed ordinal regression analyses to compare satisfaction with pain management (5-point Likert scale) and maximum abortion pain score (11-point numerical rating scale) in the opt-in versus universal codeine provision groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recently, we introduced Stroma-AReactive-Invasion-Front-Areas (SARIFA) as a novel hematoxylin-eosin (H&E)-based histopathologic prognostic biomarker for various gastrointestinal cancers, closely related to lipid metabolism. To date, no studies on SARIFA, which is defined as direct tumor-adipocyte-interaction, beyond the alimentary tract exist. Hence, the objective of our current investigation was to study the significance of SARIFA in pT3a prostate cancer (PCa) and explore its association with lipid metabolism in PCa as lipid metabolism plays a key role in PCa development and progression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: In 2018, the Department of Health and Social Care in England approved the use of misoprostol at home for early medical abortions, following administration of mifepristone at clinic. The objective of the present study was to assess the impact of the approval of home administration of misoprostol in England on access to medical abortion, assessed through proxy measures of the proportion of all abortions that were medical and gestational age.

Methods: This study uses the clinical data from the British Pregnancy Advisory Service on abortions in England in years 2018-2019, containing demographic and procedure characteristics of patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Additive engineering is a common strategy to improve the performance and stability of metal halide perovskite through the modulation of crystallization kinetics and passivation of surface defects. However, much of this work has lacked a systematic approach necessary to understand how the functionality and molecular structure of the additives influence perovskite performance and stability. This paper describes the inclusion of low concentrations of 5-aminovaleric acid (5-AVA) and its ammonium acid derivatives, 5-ammoniumvaleric acid iodide (5-AVAI) and 5-ammoniumvaleric acid chloride (5-AVACl), into the precursor inks for methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI) perovskite and highlights the important role of halides in affecting the interactions of additives with perovskite and film properties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The role of diet in the pathogenesis of uric acid (UA) nephrolithiasis is incompletely understood. This study investigated the effect of dietary intervention on the risk of UA stone formation under standardized conditions. Twenty patients with idiopathic UA stone disease were included in the study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recently, our group introduced Stroma AReactive Invasion Front Areas (SARIFA) as an independent prognostic predictor for a poorer outcome in colon cancer patients, which is probably based on immunologic alterations combined with a direct tumor-adipocyte interaction: the two together reflecting a distinct tumor biology. Considering it is already known that peripheral immune cells are altered in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, this study aims to investigate the changes in lymphocyte subsets in SARIFA-positive cases and correlate these changes with the local immune response.

Methods: Flow cytometry was performed to analyze B, T, and natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood (PB) of 45 CRC patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) correlate with the number and size of the surrounding lymph nodes in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and reflect the quality of the antitumor immune response. In this prospective study, we analyzed whether this response correlated with the circulating lymphocytes in peripheral blood (PB). In 47 patients with newly diagnosed CRC, flow cytometry was performed to analyze the B cells, T cells, NK cells, and a variety of their subsets in PB.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the British governments issued temporary approvals enabling the use of both medical abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, at home. This permitted the introduction of a fully telemedical model of abortion care with consultations taking place via telephone or video call and medications delivered to women's homes. The decision was taken by the governments in England and Wales to continue this model of care beyond the original end date of April 2022, while at time of writing the approval in Scotland remains under consultation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: The 2019 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on abortion care emphasised the importance of teaching the topic at undergraduate and postgraduate level. This study aimed to investigate the current provision of undergraduate abortion education in UK medical schools.

Methods: Relevant medical ethics and clinical leads from the 33 established UK medical schools were invited to complete surveys on the ethico-legal or clinical aspects, respectively, of their institution's abortion teaching.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: We assessed whether a low-sensitivity pregnancy test is effective at identifying ongoing pregnancy after medication abortion at 64 to 70 days of gestation.

Study Design: From October 2018 to March 2020, we performed a prospective observational study of participants in England and Wales undergoing medication abortion. Participants were scheduled to return to the clinic 14 ± 3 days after mifepristone administration to perform a low-sensitivity pregnancy test (human chorionic gonadotropin threshold of 1000 mIU/mL) and symptom checklist, and state whether they thought the abortion was complete.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates changes in lymphocyte subsets in patients with colorectal carcinoma compared to healthy individuals, highlighting the relevance of cellular immune responses in cancer control.
  • Flow cytometry was used to analyze different types of lymphocytes in 47 patients and 50 healthy volunteers, revealing lower counts of various immune cells in cancer patients.
  • The findings underscore significant alterations in circulating lymphocyte subsets related to tumor localization and microsatellite instability status, independent of age or gender effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Quality of care (QOC) is increasingly identified as an important contributor to healthcare outcomes, however little agreement exists on what constitutes quality in abortion care or the recommended indicators from the service-user perspective. Our study aimed to explore perceptions and experiences of abortion QOC in England and Wales.

Methods: We performed in-depth interviews (via phone or in-person) with participants who had an abortion at a nationwide independent sector provider in the previous 6 months.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the World Health Organization recommend that services provide a choice between medical and surgical methods of abortion. We analysed qualitative study data to examine patient perspectives on abortion method choice and barriers to meeting them.

Methods: In-depth interviews with 24 clients who had an abortion at British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinics were carried out between December 2018 and July 2019 to examine perspectives of quality of abortion care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF