Should we reconsider blocking the thyroid for 123 I-Ioflupane studies in elderly patients: quantifying radiation dose to the unblocked thyroid and implications for clinical practice.

Objectives: To measure the absorbed dose to the thyroid in patients injected with 123 I-Ioflupane where the thyroid was not blocked with prophylaxis to investigate whether thyroid blocking should be limited to younger patients. This risk from the additional absorbed dose to the thyroid was then compared to the risk from iodine overdose through ingestion of the iodide prophylaxis, resulting in iodine-induced hyper/hypothyroidism (IIH).

Methods: A cohort of patients (n = 30) who did not receive thyroid prophylaxis underwent static thyroid imaging 3 h after 123 I-Ioflupane administration.

Modeling Overdispersed Dengue Data via Poisson Inverse Gaussian Regression Model: A Case Study in the City of Campo Grande, MS, Brazil.

Dengue fever is a tropical disease transmitted mainly by the female mosquito that affects millions of people every year. As there is still no safe and effective vaccine, currently the best way to prevent the disease is to control the proliferation of the transmitting mosquito. Since the proliferation and life cycle of the mosquito depend on environmental variables such as temperature and water availability, among others, statistical models are needed to understand the existing relationships between environmental variables and the recorded number of dengue cases and predict the number of cases for some future time interval.

Improving Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Uptake through Patient Engagement-Analysis and Outcomes of Strategies to Improve Uptake at a Regional Program Level.

Background: To identify areas of health inequality that adversely affect patient engagement at a regional level within the National Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Program (NAAASP). Patient-reported improvements to services were implemented and analysis of subsequent uptake undertaken.

Methods: A prospective study of 390 men who failed to attend their AAA screening invitation.

Optimized robust plasma sampling for glomerular filtration rate studies.

In the presence of abnormal fluid collection (e.g. ascites), the measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based on a small number (1-4) of plasma samples fails.

Totally implantable venous access devices - 20 years' experience of implantation in cystic fibrosis patients.

Introduction: Totally implantable venous access devices (TIVADs) are widely used to provide long-term, central venous access for antibiotic delivery in cystic fibrosis patients. However, few studies have demonstrated long-term follow-up with large cohorts.

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective review of TIVADs implanted in cystic fibrosis patients by vascular surgeons at a tertiary referral centre, using an open venous cut-down technique, from March 1986 to July 2006.