Good practice in laboratory diagnostic andrology: Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists guidelines 2024.

These guidelines update and clarify items relating to diagnostic andrology in the 2012 Association of Biomedical Andrologists Laboratory Andrology Guidelines for Good Practice Version 3. The main change separates diagnostic and therapeutic andrology into individual documents; post-vasectomy semen analysis still references the 2016 guideline. These guidelines seek to incorporate and clarify internationally agreed methodology following the World Health Organization Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen 6th edition and publication of ISO 23162:2021.

Evaluating the effectiveness of citation count as a measure of methodological quality in esophagogastric surgery research: a comparative analysis with the MINORS score and levels of evidence.

Aim: The primary objective was to assess the relationship between the citation number and the quality of the articles, as compared with the level of evidence and the MINORS score. This study's secondary objective was to characterize the 50 most cited articles in the field of oesophagectomy research.

Background: There has been an increased need for an evaluation tool to indicate research quality.

Modifiable risk factors for developing otitis media with effusion in children under 12 years in high-income countries: a systematic review.

Objective: To systematically assess the modifiable risk factors for developing otitis media with effusion (OME) in children under 12 years.

Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, INAHTA database, CENTRAL, CDSR and Epistemonikos for cohort studies with ≥40 children per arm/prognostic factor, published in English from 2000 to November 2022. We assessed risk of bias using the Quality in Prognosis Studies checklist, and overall evidence quality was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology.

Lemierre's Syndrome: An Atypical Case of Fusobacterium necrophorum Bacteraemia in the Absence of Internal Jugular Vein Thrombosis.

Lemierre's syndrome primarily affects healthy adolescents and young adults as a complication of oropharyngeal infection, most commonly pharyngitis or peritonsillar abscess. is the principal pathogen, and the infection presents with classic symptoms including fever, sore throat, and neck tenderness. However, atypical presentations can pose diagnostic challenges.

Trends in the incidence and mortality of cervical, ovarian, and corpus uteri cancers in Wales, UK: A joinpoint regression analysis from 2002 to 2021.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to examine the secular trends of cervical, ovarian, and corpus uteri neoplasm in Wales, UK, over the period from 2002 to 2021. We aimed to identify changes in the incidence and mortality rates of these cancers to inform future healthcare policies and cancer prevention programs.

Methods: We sourced incidence data from 2002 to 2019 and mortality data from 2002 to 2021 from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.

Materials-based incidence of urinary catheter associated urinary tract infections and the causative micro-organisms: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Both long (> 30 days) and short-term (≤ 30 days) catheterisation has been associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs) due to the invasive nature of device insertion through the urethra. Catheter associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs) are common (prevalence of ~ 8.5%) infections which can be treated with antibiotics; however, CAUTIs are both expensive to treat and contributes to the antibiotic usage crisis.

Zinc-Air Hearing Aid Batteries: An Analysis of Functional Performance.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of three disposable hearing aid battery brands available in Wales. Hearing-impaired individuals who utilise hearing aids rely on the functionality of their devices, which is often contingent upon the quality and longevity of disposable batteries.

Materials And Methods: A grey literature review foregrounded the battery standards.

How to: assess patient suitability for unlicensed phage therapy in the United Kingdom.

Background: Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising alternative antimicrobial approach that has the potential to transform the way we treat bacterial infections. The antibiotic resistance crisis is driving renewed interest in phage therapy. There are currently no licensed phage therapy medicinal products and phage therapy is used in small but growing patient numbers on an unlicensed basis.

Exercise and Cognitive Function in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Efficacy and Harms.

Key Points: Cognitive impairment is common in CKD. Exercise targets multiple risk factors of cognitive decline. Meta-analysis found that exercise had a small but positive effect on cognitive function in CKD, albeit the quality of evidence was low.

Description and Cross-Sectional Analyses of 25,880 Adults and Children in the UK National Registry of Rare Kidney Diseases Cohort.

Introduction: The National Registry of Rare Kidney Diseases (RaDaR) collects data from people living with rare kidney diseases across the UK, and is the world's largest, rare kidney disease registry. We present the clinical demographics and renal function of 25,880 prevalent patients and sought evidence of bias in recruitment to RaDaR.

Methods: RaDaR is linked with the UK Renal Registry (UKRR, with which all UK patients receiving kidney replacement therapy [KRT] are registered).

"We can all relate": patient experience of an emotion-oriented group intervention after Acquired Brain Injury.

Introduction: Group interventions are carried out routinely across neuropsychological rehabilitation services, to improve understanding of brain injury and aspects of impairment. Treatment provided in a group modality can bring additional perceived benefits, such as co-operative learning. However, there are very few studies which explore patient perceptions and experiences of such interventions.

Effects of home-based EEG neurofeedback training as a non-pharmacological intervention for Parkinson's disease.

Objectives: Aberrant movement-related cortical activity has been linked to impaired motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic drug treatment can restore these, but dosages and long-term treatment are limited by adverse side-effects. Effective non-pharmacological treatments could help reduce reliance on drugs.

Extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the uterine cervix.

This is a case of primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the uterine cervix which presented with irregular vaginal bleeding. The diagnosis was confirmed following multiple cervical biopsies. Treatment with a combination of immunotherapy, chemotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP)) and radiotherapy produced a good response.

Patients' Preferences for Cytoreductive Treatments in Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Prostate Cancer: The IP5-MATTER Study.

Background And Objective: Cytoreductive treatments for patients diagnosed with de novo synchronous metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) confer incremental survival benefits over systemic therapy, but these may lead to added toxicity and morbidity. Our objective was to determine patients' preferences for, and trade-offs between, additional cytoreductive prostate and metastasis-directed interventions.

Methods: A prospective multicentre discrete choice experiment trial was conducted at 30 hospitals in the UK between December 3, 2020 and January 25, 2023 (NCT04590976).

Occupational Stress in United Kingdom Audiologists.

Purpose: Occupational stress is known to have detrimental effects on health care professionals worldwide. This study aimed to address a research gap by investigating sources and levels of occupational stress in U.K.

Pharmacist-Led Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme in Two Tertiary Hospitals in Malawi.

The ultimate goal of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes is to decrease the occurrence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In response to this, a pharmacist partnership was established between Malawi and Wales (UK) with the aim of strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) activities in Malawi, with the initial project focusing on two tertiary referral hospitals. The Global Point Prevalence Survey (GPPS) was undertaken for the first time in Malawi at these sites and demonstrated a prescribing rate slightly lower than the African average, with ceftriaxone indicated for almost every bacterial infection.

Autoimmune hepatitis in teenage pregnancy with good obstetric outcome.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare liver disorder having long-standing inflammatory features. It classically affects women of reproductive age and can have adverse maternal and fetal outcomes during the pregnancy. The course of the disease is unpredictable and there have been flares even in stable patients.

Fatality Rates After Infection With the Omicron Variant (B.1.1.529): How Deadly has it been? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Since late 2019, the global community has been gripped by the uncertainty surrounding the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In November 2021, the emergence of the Omicron variant in South Africa added a new dimension. This study aims to assess the disease's severity and determine the extent to which vaccinations contribute to reducing mortality rates.