Phase III, two arm, multi-centre, open label, parallel-group randomised designed clinical investigation of the use of a personalised early warning decision support system to predict and prevent acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 'Predict & Prevent AECOPD' - study protocol.

Introduction: With 65 million cases globally, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death and imposes a heavy burden on patients' lives and healthcare resources worldwide. Around half of all patients with COPD have frequent (≥2 per year) acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). Rapid readmissions are also common.

Effect of Regional vs General Anesthesia on Incidence of Postoperative Delirium in Older Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery: The RAGA Randomized Trial.

Importance: In adults undergoing hip fracture surgery, regional anesthesia may reduce postoperative delirium, but there is uncertainty about its effectiveness.

Objective: To investigate, in older adults undergoing surgical repair for hip fracture, the effects of regional anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative delirium compared with general anesthesia.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A randomized, allocation-concealed, open-label, multicenter clinical trial of 950 patients, aged 65 years and older, with or without preexisting dementia, and a fragility hip fracture requiring surgical repair from 9 university teaching hospitals in Southeastern China.

Prevalence of peripapillary choroidal neovascular membranes (PPCNV) in an elderly UK population-the Bridlington eye assessment project (BEAP): a cross-sectional study (2002-2006).

Purpose: There is paucity of data on the epidemiology of peripapillary choroidal neovascularisartion (PPCNV). Our aim was to determine prevalence of PPCNV in the elderly UK population of Bridlington residents aged ≥65 years.

Methods: Eyes with PPCNV in the Bridlington eye assessment project (BEAP) database of 3475 participants were analysed.

Prevalence of reticular pseudodrusen in an elderly UK Caucasian population-The Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP): a cross-sectional study (2002-2006).

Aims: To determine prevalence, associations, and risk factors for reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) in a UK population.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of Bridlington residents aged ≥65 years. Masked grading of colour fundus photographs from 3549 participants.

Interpreting the Tinnitus Questionnaire (German version): what individual differences are clinically important?

Objective: Reporting of clinical significance is recommended because findings can be statistically significant without being relevant to patients. For aiding clinical interpretation of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), many investigators use a 5-point change cut-off as a minimal clinically important difference (MCID). But there are shortcomings in how this value was originally determined.

Author Response to Sabour (2018), "Comment on Hall et al. (2017), 'How to Choose Between Measures of Tinnitus Loudness for Clinical Research? A Report on the Reliability and Validity of an Investigator-Administered Test and a Patient-Reported Measure Using Baseline Data Collected in a Phase IIa Drug Trial'".

Purpose: The authors respond to a letter to the editor (Sabour, 2018) concerning the interpretation of validity in the context of evaluating treatment-related change in tinnitus loudness over time.

Method: The authors refer to several landmark methodological publications and an international standard concerning the validity of patient-reported outcome measurement instruments.

Results: The tinnitus loudness rating performed better against our reported acceptability criteria for (face and convergent) validity than did the tinnitus loudness matching test.

Assessing the impact of the introduction of an electronic hospital discharge system on the completeness and timeliness of discharge communication: a before and after study.

Background: Hospital discharge summaries are a key communication tool ensuring continuity of care between primary and secondary care. Incomplete or untimely communication of information increases risk of hospital readmission and associated complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the introduction of a new electronic discharge system (NewEDS) was associated with improvements in the completeness and timeliness of discharge information, in Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, England.

How to Choose Between Measures of Tinnitus Loudness for Clinical Research? A Report on the Reliability and Validity of an Investigator-Administered Test and a Patient-Reported Measure Using Baseline Data Collected in a Phase IIa Drug Trial.

Purpose: Loudness is a major auditory dimension of tinnitus and is used to diagnose severity, counsel patients, or as a measure of clinical efficacy in audiological research. There is no standard test for tinnitus loudness, but matching and rating methods are popular. This article provides important new knowledge about the reliability and validity of an audiologist-administered tinnitus loudness matching test and a patient-reported tinnitus loudness rating.

Choosing which ear to implant in adult candidates with functional residual hearing.

This study examined whether audiologists consider the potential benefits of contralateral hearing aid use following cochlear implantation when recommending which ear to implant in UK adult candidates with residual hearing. Thirty-four audiologists from providers of adult implantation services completed a decision-choice experiment. Clinicians were willing to consider recommending that the poorer ear be implanted, provided it had been aided continuously, suggesting that their decision making seeks to preserve access to residual hearing in the non-implanted ear where possible.

Supporting adherence for people starting a new medication for a long-term condition through community pharmacies: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the New Medicine Service.

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of the New Medicine Service (NMS), a national community pharmacy service to support medicines-taking in people starting a new medicine for a long-term condition, compared with normal practice.

Methods: Pragmatic patient-level parallel randomised controlled trial, in 46 community pharmacies in England. Patients 1:1 block randomisation stratified by drug/disease group within each pharmacy.

Preferred retinal locus profile during prolonged fixation attempts.

Objective: The retinal area or location used during any fixation attempt defines the preferred retinal locus (PRL). It is presumed that during prolonged fixation attempts there may be various representative reference points within the PRL area. This study aims to clarify this presumption.

The prevalence and nature of prescribing and monitoring errors in English general practice: a retrospective case note review.

Background: Relatively little is known about prescribing errors in general practice, or the factors associated with error.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and nature of prescribing and monitoring errors in general practices in England.

Design And Setting: Retrospective case-note review of unique medication items prescribed over a 12-month period to a 2% random sample of patients.

Is admission blood glucose concentration a more powerful predictor of mortality after myocardial infarction than diabetes diagnosis? A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To explore the relative association of admission blood glucose levels and antecedent diabetes on early and long-term survival in a contemporary UK population of patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI).

Design: Retrospective cohort study based on the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project dataset.

Setting: Tertiary care centre.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of tissue Doppler imaging during dobutamine stress echocardiography in end-stage renal disease.

Objective: To determine whether a quantitative measurement of peak systolic velocity (PSV) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) detects severe coronary artery disease (CAD) and predicts mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Methods: One hundred and forty renal transplant candidates had DSE and coronary angiography. DSE analysis was performed using conventional visual wall motion assessment, longitudinal PSV, and combining the two modalities.

Predicting the outcome of Legg-Calve-Perthes' disease in children under 6 years old.

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the outcome of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in children presenting under 6 years old. Firstly, we wished to know the outcome in terms of femoral head deformity in this age group. Secondly, we investigated the potential for improvement in femoral head deformity with growth and remodelling after the Perthes lesion had healed.

Evaluation of ischaemia-modified albumin as a marker of myocardial ischaemia in end-stage renal disease.

The early diagnosis of myocardial ischaemia is problematic in patients with ESRD (end-stage renal disease). The aim of the present study was to determine whether IMA (ischaemia-modified albumin) increases during dobutamine stress and detects myocardial ischaemia in patients with ESRD. A total of 114 renal transplant candidates were studied prospectively, and all received DSE (dobutamine stress echocardiography).

Echocardiography-based score to predict outcome after renal transplantation.

Background: Given the high cardiac mortality of renal transplant recipients, identification of high-risk patients is important to offer appropriate treatment before transplantation.

Aim: To determine patients with high mortality after renal transplantation despite selection according to current criteria.

Methods: Preoperative parameters were collected from 203 renal transplant recipients over a follow-up time of 3.

Quantification of [123I]FP-CIT SPECT brain images: an accurate technique for measurement of the specific binding ratio.

Purpose: A technique is described for accurate quantification of the specific binding ratio (SBR) in [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT brain images.

Methods: Using a region of interest (ROI) approach, the SBR is derived from a measure of total striatal counts that takes into account the partial volume effect. Operator intervention is limited to the placement of the striatal ROIs, a task facilitated by the use of geometrical template regions.

Mitral annular calcification predicts mortality and coronary artery disease in end stage renal disease.

Background: We sought to determine whether mitral annular calcification (MAC) predicts mortality and cardiac disease in a group of renal transplant candidates.

Methods: Hundred and forty patients were prospectively studied. All had echocardiography and coronary angiography.

Mitral peak Doppler E-wave to peak mitral annulus velocity ratio is an accurate estimate of left ventricular filling pressure and predicts mortality in end-stage renal disease.

Objective: The study aimed to assess whether the mitral peak Doppler E-wave to peak mitral annulus velocity ratio (E/Ea) estimates left ventricular (LV) filling pressure (LVFP) and predicts mortality in end-stage renal disease.

Methods: In all, 125 candidates for renal transplant were prospectively studied. LV end-diastolic pressure of 15 mm Hg or greater at cardiac catheterization was defined as elevated LVFP.

Ischemia-modified albumin predicts mortality in ESRD.

Background: The primary study aim is to determine whether ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels predict mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The secondary aim is to determine characteristics of patients with elevated IMA levels.

Methods: A prospective observational study of 114 renal transplantation candidates was performed.