Responsiveness of the Foot Profile Score in children with hemiplegia.

Background: The Foot Profile Score (FPS) is a single score that summarises foot posture and dynamic foot motion during the gait cycle based on the kinematic data of the Oxford Foot Model. The FPS enables clinicians and researchers to quantify foot abnormalities during gait, to monitor change in foot/ankle motion over time, and to measure the outcome of intervention. With the creation of a new outcome measure, it is important to test its responsiveness in a clinical population for whom it may be sensitive to change.

A comparison of conventional and minimally invasive multilevel surgery for children with diplegic cerebral palsy.

Aims: To compare changes in gait kinematics and walking speed 24 months after conventional (C-MLS) and minimally invasive (MI-MLS) multilevel surgery for children with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 19 children following C-MLS, with mean age at surgery of 12 years five months (seven years ten months to 15 years 11 months), and 36 children following MI-MLS, with mean age at surgery of ten years seven months (seven years one month to 14 years ten months), was performed. The Gait Profile Score (GPS) and walking speed were collected preoperatively and six, 12 and 24 months postoperatively.

What is the functional mobility and quality of life in patients with cerebral palsy following single-event multilevel surgery?

Purpose: To report functional mobility in patients with diplegic cerebral palsy (CP) at long-term follow-up after single-event multilevel surgery (SEMLS). The secondary aim was to assess the relationship between functional mobility and quality of life (QoL) in patients previously treated with SEMLS.

Methods: A total of 61 patients with diplegic CP, mean age at surgery 11 years, eight months (sd 2 years, 5 months), were included.

Two-tailed significance tests for 2 × 2 contingency tables: What is the alternative?

Two-tailed significance testing for 2 × 2 contingency tables has remained controversial. Within the medical literature, different tests are used in different papers and that choice may decide whether findings are adjudged to be significant or nonsignificant; a state of affairs that is clearly undesirable. In this paper, it is argued that a part of the controversy is due to a failure to recognise that there are two possible alternative hypotheses to the Null.

Mercaptopurine versus placebo to prevent recurrence of Crohn's disease after surgical resection (TOPPIC): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Up to 60% of patients with Crohn's disease need intestinal resection within the first 10 years of diagnosis, and postoperative recurrence is common. We investigated whether mercaptopurine can prevent or delay postoperative clinical recurrence of Crohn's disease.

Methods: We did a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial at 29 UK secondary and tertiary hospitals of patients (aged >16 years in Scotland or >18 years in England and Wales) who had a confirmed diagnosis of Crohn's disease and had undergone intestinal resection.

Lies, damn lies and statistics: errors and omission in papers submitted to INJURY 2010-2012.

Introduction: Many reviews of published papers in the medical literature have reported errors in statistical methods and presentation.

Methods: 100 successive papers submitted to INJURY and sent for initial statistical review between December 2010 and January 2012 were analysed. The comments made on the papers were categorised and summarised.

Thrombocytopenia and platelet transfusion in UK critical care: a multicenter observational study.

Background: Platelet (PLT) transfusions are widely used, but few studies have described patterns of use in critical care.

Study Design And Methods: As part of a prospective multicenter observational study of all sequentially admitted patients to UK general intensive care units (ICUs) over 8 weeks, daily data were collected throughout admission on frequency of thrombocytopenia and use of PLT transfusions, in addition to clinical outcomes, including bleeding.

Results: There were 1923 admissions recruited across 29 ICUs for analysis (96.

A pharmacist-led information technology intervention for medication errors (PINCER): a multicentre, cluster randomised, controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis.

Background: Medication errors are common in primary care and are associated with considerable risk of patient harm. We tested whether a pharmacist-led, information technology-based intervention was more effective than simple feedback in reducing the number of patients at risk of measures related to hazardous prescribing and inadequate blood-test monitoring of medicines 6 months after the intervention.

Methods: In this pragmatic, cluster randomised trial general practices in the UK were stratified by research site and list size, and randomly assigned by a web-based randomisation service in block sizes of two or four to one of two groups.

Promoting smoking cessation in Pakistani and Bangladeshi men in the UK: pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of trained community outreach workers.

Background: Smoking prevalence is high among Pakistani and Bangladeshi men in the UK, but there are few tailored smoking cessation programmes for Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. The aim of this study was to pilot a cluster randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of Pakistani and Bangladeshi smoking cessation outreach workers with standard care to improve access to and the success of English smoking cessation services.

Methods: A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in Birmingham, UK.

Experiences of outreach workers in promoting smoking cessation to Bangladeshi and Pakistani men: longitudinal qualitative evaluation.

Background: Despite having high smoking rates, there have been few tailored cessation programmes for male Bangladeshi and Pakistani smokers in the UK. We report on a qualitative evaluation of a community-based, outreach worker delivered, intervention that aimed to increase uptake of NHS smoking cessation services and tailor services to meet the needs of Bangladeshi and Pakistani men.

Methods: This was a longitudinal, qualitative study, nested within a phase II cluster randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention.

A national study of plasma use in critical care: clinical indications, dose and effect on prothrombin time.

Introduction: Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is widely used, but few studies have described patterns of plasma use in critical care. We carried out a multicentre study of coagulopathy in intensive care units (ICUs) and here describe overall FFP utilisation in adult critical care, the indications for transfusions, factors indicating the doses used and the effects of FFP use on coagulation.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicentre, observational study of all patients sequentially admitted to 29 adult UK general ICUs over 8 weeks.

Prevalence, management, and outcomes of critically ill patients with prothrombin time prolongation in United Kingdom intensive care units.

Objective: Coagulopathy occurs frequently in critically ill patients, but its epidemiology, current treatment, and relation to patient outcome are poorly understood. We described the prevalence, risk factors, and treatment of prolongation of the prothrombin time in critically ill patients using the international normalized ratio to standardize data and explored its association with intensive care unit survival.

Design: Prospective multiple center observational cohort study.

Diagnostic and prognostic utility of troponin estimation in patients presenting with syncope: a prospective cohort study.

Aims: To primarily assess the value of troponin I to identify acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and second, to predict 1-month serious outcome or all-cause death in patients presenting with syncope to the Emergency Department (ED).

Design: Prospective cohort study of all adult patients presenting to the ED after an episode of syncope.

Methods: In admitted patients, plasma troponin I was measured 12 h after syncope, and in discharged patients, between 12 h and 7 days following discharge.

The ROSE (risk stratification of syncope in the emergency department) study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a clinical decision rule (CDR) to predict 1-month serious outcome and all-cause death in patients presenting with syncope to the emergency department.

Background: Syncope is a common, potentially serious condition accounting for many hospital admissions.

Methods: This was a single center, prospective, observational study of adults presenting to the emergency department with syncope.

Primary and secondary cases in Escherichia coli O157 outbreaks: a statistical analysis.

Background: Within outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157 (E. coli O157), at least 10-15% of cases are thought to have been acquired by secondary transmission. However, there has been little systematic quantification or characterisation of secondary outbreak cases worldwide.

Promoting smoking cessation in Bangladeshi and Pakistani male adults: design of a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of trained community smoking cessation workers.

Background: The prevalence of smoking is higher among Pakistani and Bangladeshi males than among the general population. Smokers who receive behavioural support and medication quadruple their chances of stopping smoking, but evidence suggests that these populations do not use National Health Service run stop smoking clinics as frequently as would be expected given their high prevalence of smoking. This study aims to tackle some of the main barriers to use of stop smoking services and adherence to treatment programmes by redesigning service delivery to be more acceptable to these adult male populations.