Disposable and sensitive electrochemical magneto-immunosensor for point-of-care HCV diagnostics: Targeting HCVcAg, the active viremia biomarker, in patient samples.

Early detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is crucial for eliminating this silent killer, especially in resource-limited settings. HCV core antigen (HCVcAg) represents a promising alternative to the current "gold standard" HCV RNA assays as an active viremia biomarker. Herein, a highly sensitive electrochemical magneto-immunosensor for the HCVcAg was developed.

Barriers and facilitators for cardiopulmonary resuscitation discussions with people with heart failure.

Background: Care planning with people with advanced heart failure enables appropriate care, and prevents futile interventions, such as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Aim: To explore what motivates clinicians to conduct, and people with heart failure and their carers, to engage in well-conducted CPR discussions.

Methods: In-depth remote interviews with i) people with heart failure and self-reported daily symptoms (≥ 3 months), ii) informal carers and, iii) clinicians recruited through social media and professional groups, team contacts and snowballing.

Development and evaluation of high fidelity, multidisciplinary simulation training course for high consequence infectious diseases using fluorescence visualisation.

Background: High consequence infectious diseases (HCID) include contact-transmissible viral haemorrhagic fevers and airborne-transmissible infections such as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome. Assessing suspected HCID cases requires specialised infection control measures including patient isolation, personal protective equipment (PPE), and decontamination. There is need for an accessible course for NHS staff to improve confidence and competence in using HCID PPE outside specialist HCID centres.

Exploring UK clinician perceptions of through-knee amputation compared to above-knee amputation: a mixed methods study.

Background: Through-knee amputation (TKA) has potential advantages over above-knee amputation (AKA) but is rarely performed in the United Kingdom (UK). This mixed methods study aimed to explore clinicians' perceptions of TKA compared to AKA.

Method: An online survey of vascular surgeons, prosthetists, and physiotherapists between May 2019 and April 2020.

Subsequent intraocular lens surgery in eyes with combined versus sequential phaco-vitrectomy.

Objective: To determine the risk factors for subsequent intraocular lens (IOL) surgery among eyes undergoing either combined or sequential phaco-vitrectomy.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Participants: Adult patients undergoing phacoemulsification at 8 United Kingdom National Health Service clinical centers between July 2003 and March 2015.

Pelvis Or Involved Node Treatment: Eradicating Recurrence in Prostate Cancer (POINTER-PC) - study protocol paper for a phase III multicentre, open-label randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men. Recurrence may occur in up to half of patients initially treated with curative intent for high-risk localised/locally advanced PCa. Pelvic nodal recurrence is common in this setting, but no clear standard of care exists for these patients, with potential therapeutic approaches including stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) to the involved node(s) alone, extended nodal irradiation (ENI) to treat sites of potential micrometastatic spread in addition to involved node(s) and androgen deprivation therapy with or without additional systemic anticancer therapies.

Delays to Revascularisation and Outcomes of Non-elective Admissions for Chronic Limb Threatening Ischaemia: a UK Population Based Cohort Study.

Objective: Major amputation and death are significant outcomes after lower limb revascularisation for chronic limb threatening ischaemia (CLTI), but there is limited evidence on their association with the timing of revascularisation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between time from non-elective admission to revascularisation and one year outcomes for patients with CLTI.

Methods: This was an observational, population based cohort study of patients aged ≥ 50 years with CLTI admitted non-electively for infra-inguinal revascularisation procedures in English NHS hospitals from January 2017 to December 2019 recorded in the Hospital Episode Statistics database.

The effectiveness of waxing or epilation compared to conventional methods of hair removal in reducing the incidence of surgical site infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) pose a significant challenge to healthcare systems by elevating patient morbidity and mortality and driving up financial costs. Preoperative skin preparation is crucial for preventing SSIs; however, certain traditional methods of hair removal have been found to increase the risk of SSI development. Mechanical epilation and waxing constitute two relatively explored methods of hair removal, which may hold potential to accelerate wound healing due to the activation of stem cells within hair follicles.

Health-associated quality of life impairment in people who inject drugs (PWID) after bloodstream infection.

Background: People who inject drugs (PWID) have high rates of bloodstream infections (BSI) with Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and group A streptococcus (GAS). Little is known about health-related quality of life outcomes after BSI.

Methods: We performed a prospective pilot cohort study of patients with BSI due to SA or GAS.

Exploring How the Kidney BEAM Physical Activity Digital Health Intervention Improved Mental Health-Related Quality of Life for People Living With Kidney Disease.

Introduction: The Kidney BEAM randomized controlled trial reported clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical function (sit-to-stand-60, but not the physical component of HRQoL) and patient activation after a 12-week physical activity digital health intervention (DHI). This study explores factors that contributed to the effectiveness of Kidney BEAM through mixed methods analyses.

Methods: Quantitative data analysis was obtained from the recently published primary manuscript.

Impact of stopping burosumab treatment at the end of skeletal growth in adolescents with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH).

Many adolescents with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) currently have to stop treatment with burosumab at the end of skeletal growth. We describe the experience of a cohort of adolescents with XLH before, during, and after stopping burosumab (median treatment duration 37.5 months).

Effect of introduction of intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring on glycaemic control in individuals living with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with non-insulin therapies-A randomised controlled trial.

Aims: This pilot randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of introducing isCGM on glycaemic control and diabetes distress in individuals with T2DM receiving non-insulin therapies.

Materials And Methods: Forty adults with T2DM were randomised to either receive FreeStyle Libre 2 (Libre 2), an isCGM system, or FreeStyle Libre Pro iQ (Libre Pro) also known as 'blinded' CGM. Participants were followed for 12 weeks.

How to Manage a Large Undifferentiated Lung Cancer Mass: A Case Report.

Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer globally. An important subtype to discuss is undifferentiated carcinomas, which are variants of large cell carcinoma, and these can typically present with evidence of neuroendocrine differentiation. The patient presented with a large mass in the right upper lobe extending into the middle lobe.

The variability of measured and calculated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in statin-treated diabetes patients.

Background: The Sampson-NIH and Martin-Hopkins low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) equations are advocated as being superior to the Friedewald calculation. However, their mathematical complexity means they may have different biological and analytical variation when tracking LDL-C in the same patient. This study has established the biological variation (BV) of calculated and directly measured LDL-C (dLDL-C) in patients taking equivalent doses of a long (atorvastatin) and short (simvastatin) half-life statin.

Roxadustat Efficacy and Safety in Patients Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis: Pooled Analysis of Four Phase 3 Studies.

Roxadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor approved to treat anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The efficacy and safety of roxadustat compared with parenteral erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) were evaluated in patients with anemia of CKD receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD). This analysis pooled data from four phase 3, multicenter, randomized, open-label, active-comparator studies (PYRENEES, SIERRAS, HIMALAYAS, ROCKIES).

British Cardiovascular Intervention Society Training Culture Focus Group Position Statement: Bringing Trainees and Trainers Together.

Unprofessional behaviour within cardiology has been well documented and commonly occurs within the cardiac catheterisation laboratory, with higher rates in interventional subspecialities. While most trainees have positive experiences and encounters within the catheterisation laboratory, around one in five report experiencing bullying. This not only has a significant negative impact on the individuals directly involved, but also on the wider multidisciplinary team; importantly, it will have a deleterious effect on patient safety.

A Rare Case of Combined Direct Retinal Involvement and Suspected Bing-Neel Syndrome in a Patient With Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia.

A 75-year-old male with a history of Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), diagnosed in 2022, presented with several months of progressive blurred vision and floaters in his right eye, impairing his ability to drive, particularly at night. The ophthalmologic evaluation revealed vitreous haemorrhage and sub-retinal pigment epithelial lesions in the superonasal and inferonasal quadrants of the right eye. A pars plana vitrectomy with vitreous biopsy was performed, which was consistent with ocular involvement by WM.

Kidney Beam-A Cost-Effective Digital Intervention to Improve Mental Health.

Introduction: There is inequity in the provision of physical rehabilitation services for people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Kidney BEAM trial evaluated the clinical value and cost effectiveness of a physical activity digital health intervention (DHI) in CKD.

Methods: In a single-blind, 11 center, randomized controlled trial, 340 adult participants with CKD were randomly assigned to either the Kidney BEAM physical activity DHI or a waitlist control.