Synoptic Reporting in Clinical Placental Pathology: A Preliminary Investigation Into Report Findings and Interobserver Agreement.

Introduction: Placental pathology is key for investigating adverse pregnancy outcomes, however, lack of standardization in reporting has limited clinical utility. We evaluated a novel placental pathology synoptic report, comparing its robustness to narrative reports, and assessed interobserver agreement.

Methods: 100 singleton placentas were included.

Association of emergency department albuterol dispensing with pediatric asthma revisits and readmissions.

Introduction: Although pediatric asthma continues to be a highly studied disease, data to suggest clear strategies to decrease asthma related revisits or readmissions is lacking. The purpose of our study was to assess the effect of emergency department (ED) direct dispensing of beta-agonist metered dose inhalers on pediatric asthma ED revisit and readmission rates.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients discharged from the pediatric ED with a diagnosis of asthma.

Impact of a Hospitalwide Quality Improvement Initiative on Emergency Department Throughput and Crowding Measures.

Background: This pre- and postintervention analysis evaluates the impact of a systemwide, comprehensive, executively supported quality improvement (QI) project on emergency department (ED) throughput measures and crowding in a large nonacademic community hospital.

Methods: The two primary endpoints used to assess the impact of the project were (1) the percentage of all patients who were door-in to door-out in less than three hours and (2) the percentage of patients who left without being seen (LWBS). Secondary endpoints for throughput were mean door-in to door-out, door-in to physician, physician to disposition, and disposition to door-out times for all patients.

Automated quantitation of peripheral blood neutrophil activation in patients with myocardial ischaemia.

Background: Coronary ischaemic syndromes are associated with neutrophil activation. The Bayer automated haematology analysers can detect increased light scatter of neutrophil populations, which correlates with neutrophil activation. We aimed to assess the role of an automated analyser in detecting systemic neutrophil activation in peripheral blood samples of patients with coronary ischaemia.

Anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibodies: preclinical and clinical evidence in asthma models.

Descriptive studies have shown an association between eosinophils, interleukin (IL)-5 and pathophysiological processes in patients with atopic asthma. These observations have led to an interest in the eosinophil as the pathogenic cell responsible for many of the clinical features of asthma including symptoms of wheeze, shortness of breath and cough, along with the physiological events such as airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and changes in lung function. IL-5 is one of the key cytokines responsible for eosinopoiesis in the bone marrow, along with recruitment and survival of eosinophils in the tissues.