Best practice for the selection, design and implementation of UK Kidney Association guidelines: a modified Delphi consensus approach.

Background: Despite research into how to effectively implement evidence-based recommendations into clinical practice, a lack of standardisation in the commissioning and development of clinical practice guidelines can lead to inconsistencies and gaps in implementation. This research aimed to ascertain how topics in kidney care worthy of guideline development within the UK should be chosen, prioritised, designed and implemented.

Methods: Following a modified Delphi methodology, a multi-disciplinary panel of experts in kidney healthcare from across the UK developed 35 statements on the issues surrounding the selection, development and implementation of nephrology guidelines.

Differences in medical care usage between two mass-gathering sporting events.

Background: Event planning for mass gatherings involves the utilization of methods that prospectively can predict medical resource use. However, there is growing recognition that historical data for a specific event can help to accurately forecast medical requirements. This study was designed to investigate the differences in medical usage rates between two popular mass-gathering sports events in the UK: rugby matches and horse races.

Myocardial contractile function and intradialytic hypotension.

Dialysis-induced hypotension remains a significant problem in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Numerous factors result in dysregulation of blood pressure control and impaired myocardial reserve in response to HD-induced cardiovascular stress. Episodic intradialytic hypotension may be involved in the pathogenesis of evolving myocardial injury.

Continuous online monitoring of ionic dialysance allows modification of delivered hemodialysis treatment time.

Considerable intrinsic intrapatient variability influences the actual delivery of Kt/V. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility of using continuous online assessment of ionic dialysance measurements (Kt/V(ID)) to allow dialysis sessions to be altered on an individual basis. Ten well-established chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients without significant residual renal function were studied (mean age 65+/-4.