A quantitative evaluation of the effect of meals on macular thickness in diabetic patients with diabetic macular edema.

Purpose: Central subfoveal thickness measurement is used in a large number of clinical trials to monitor the progression and treatment response of diabetic macular edema (DME) in patients of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Several studies have been carried out to investigate various factors affecting the central subfoveal thickness in order to minimize errors in the testing. We planned a study to investigate the effect of meals on central macular thickness (CMT) in patients with DME and compare that with nondiabetic patients.

Assessing injury risk in male and female Royal Navy recruits: does the Functional Movement Screen provide understanding to inform effective injury mitigation?

Introduction: Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are common during military and other occupational physical training programmes, and employers have a duty of care to mitigate this injury risk. MSKIs account for a high number of working days lost during initial military training, contribute to training attrition and impact training costs. Poorer movement quality may be associated with increased MSKI risk.

Comparison of Transcriptomic Changes in Survivors of Exertional Heat Illness with Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptible Patients.

Exertional heat illness (EHI) is an occupational health hazard for athletes and military personnel-characterised by the inability to thermoregulate during exercise. The ability to thermoregulate can be studied using a standardised heat tolerance test (HTT) developed by The Institute of Naval Medicine. In this study, we investigated whole blood gene expression (at baseline, 2 h post-HTT and 24 h post-HTT) in male subjects with either a history of EHI or known susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia (MHS): a pharmacogenetic condition with similar clinical phenotype.

A quantitative evaluation of aerosol generation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

It is unclear if cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an aerosol-generating procedure and whether this poses a risk of airborne disease transmission to healthcare workers and bystanders. Use of airborne transmission precautions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation may confer rescuer protection but risks patient harm due to delays in commencing treatment. To quantify the risk of respiratory aerosol generation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in humans, we conducted an aerosol monitoring study during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Transforming healthcare documentation: harnessing the potential of AI to generate discharge summaries.

Background: Hospital discharge summaries play an essential role in informing GPs of recent admissions to ensure excellent continuity of care and prevent adverse events; however, they are notoriously poorly written, time-consuming, and can result in delayed discharge.

Aim: To evaluate the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to produce high-quality discharge summaries equivalent to the level of a doctor who has completed the UK Foundation Programme.

Design & Setting: Feasibility study using 25 mock patient vignettes.

Game Elements in the Design of Simulations in Military Trauma Management Training: Protocol for a Systematic Review.

Background: Military trauma teams are commonly operating in civilian hospitals during peacetime; in a war situation they must adjust their practices to the austere conditions. Simulations can replicate austere conditions to allow training in a safe environment that tolerates errors. Gamification, understood as the use of game elements to motivate and engage learners in nongame contexts, is gaining interest in medical education and military training.

Barriers and facilitators to implementation of musculoskeletal injury mitigation programmes for military service members around the world: a scoping review.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal injury (MSK-I) mitigation and prevention programmes (MSK-IMPPs) have been developed and implemented across militaries worldwide. Although programme efficacy is often reported, development and implementation details are often overlooked, limiting their scalability, sustainability and effectiveness. This scoping review aimed to identify the following in military populations: (1) barriers and facilitators to implementing and scaling MSK-IMPPs; (2) gaps in MSK-IMPP research and (3) future research priorities.

Complication profile in a cochlear implantation- surgical audit in a large study population of low socio-economic status in a developing country.

Objectives: To audit surgical complications and their management in cochlear implant (CI) recipients in a tertiary care referral otorhinolaryngology center in South India.

Materials And Methods: Hospital data on 1,250 CI surgeries performed from June 2013 to December 2020 was reviewed. This is an analytical study with data collected from medical records.

Association Between Combat-Related Traumatic Injury and Skeletal Health: Bone Mineral Density Loss Is Localized and Correlates With Altered Loading in Amputees: the Armed Services Trauma Rehabilitation Outcome (ADVANCE) Study.

The association between combat-related traumatic injury (CRTI) and bone health is uncertain. A disproportionate number of lower limb amputees from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are diagnosed with osteopenia/osteoporosis, increasing lifetime risk of fragility fracture and challenging traditional osteoporosis treatment paradigms. The aim of this study is to test the hypotheses that CRTI results in a systemic reduction in bone mineral density (BMD) and that active traumatic lower limb amputees have localized BMD reduction, which is more prominent with higher level amputations.

Cardiac arrest in diving: The key to success.

This case report describes the successful management of an out-of-hospital arrest in a diver following a suspected arterial gas embolism (AGE). It illustrates both the inherent risks of diving and the importance of prompt and effective implementation of the "chain of survival" from bystanders. Rapid on-scene responses from paramedics and helicopter emergency medical services facilitated prompt evacuation to a Category 1 (multiplace) recompression chamber (RCC) where specialists in cardiology and hyperbaric medicine were available.

The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) Consensus Statement on Major Trauma Training in the UK.

Introduction: Since the establishment of the Major Trauma Networks in 2012, it is estimated that an extra 1,600 lives have been saved across England. Although the delivery of trauma care has improved significantly, the provision of trauma training has not and remains fragmented. The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT), an independent organisation run by trainees, is dedicated to excellence in surgical training within the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (ROI).

COVID-19 risk, attitudes and behaviour study (CRAB study): A knowledge, attitudes, and practise qualitative study of COVID-19 in the Royal Navy.

Introduction: Outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 onboard maritime platforms spread rapidly and have high attack rates. The aim of the COVID-19 Risk, Attitudes and Behaviour (CRAB) study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practises in the Royal Navy in relation to COVID-19 prevention.

Methods: The CRAB study was a cross-sectional survey, using a census sampling method, conducted in May and June 2021.

Serving through the perimenopause: Experiences of women in the UK Armed Forces.

Perimenopause is a hot topic in the UK mainstream media, with celebrities championing the cause and a new selection of books being published on the topic. Little is known, however, about the experiences of women serving in the UK Armed Forces while transitioning through perimenopause. This mixed-methods survey aimed to evaluate women's current experiences to determine what future research or policy is required to support this phase.

Effect of hormone replacement therapy on intervertebral disc height.

Objective: Intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers, thereby helping to reduce the risk of vertebral body fractures. Previous studies have shown that estrogen loss following menopause is associated with disc height reduction whereas treatment with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps to maintain disc height. This study reports the effect of HRT on disc height from a analysis of a prospective randomized clinical trial of the effect of HRT on bone density.

Development, design and experience of the UK Military's return to diving pathway following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

After the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in early 2020, it quickly became clear that symptomatic or asymptomatic infection had the potential to negatively impact on an individual's fitness to dive through effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular or neurological systems. The significance of these effects in the military diving environment was initially unclear due to an absence of data concerning incidence, chronology or severity. In order to safely return divers to the water and maintain operational capability, the UK Military developed a pathway for SARS-CoV-2 positive divers that stratified risk of sequelae and extent of required clinical investigation, while minimising reliance on viral testing and hospital-based investigations.

Intraoperative Positioning in Maxillofacial Trauma Patients With Cervical Spine Injury - Is It Safe? Radiological Simulation in a Healthy Volunteer.

Study Design: Observational.

Objective: To investigate the effects on the cervical spine of positioning patients for maxillofacial procedures by simulating intraoperative positions for common maxillofacial procedures.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess the effects of head position in common intraoperative configurations - neutral (anterior mandible position), extended (tracheostomy position) and laterally rotated (mandibular condyle position) on the C-spine of a healthy volunteer.

Paediatric major incident triage: A Delphi process to determine clinicians' attitudes and beliefs within the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Aim: Triage is key to effective management of major incidents, yet there is scarce evidence surrounding the optimal method of paediatric major incident triage (MIT). This study aimed to derive consensus on key components of paediatric MIT among healthcare professionals responsible for triage during paediatric major incidents.

Methods: Two-round online Delphi consensus study delivered July 2021-October 2021, including participants from pre-hospital and hospital specialities responsible for triage during paediatric major incidents.

Musculoskeletal injury in military specialists: a 2-year retrospective study.

Background: Military specialists are elite personnel who are trained to work across diverse operational environments where a high level of physical conditioning is a prerequisite for their role. Anecdotally, personnel are acknowledged to be at high risk of developing musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs). However, there are presently no published data on this UK military population to support this view.

No protective benefits of low dose acute L-glutamine supplementation on small intestinal permeability, epithelial injury and bacterial translocation biomarkers in response to subclinical exertional-heat stress: A randomized cross-over trial.

Exertional heat stress disrupts gastrointestinal permeability and, through subsequent bacterial translocation, can result in potentially fatal exertional heat stroke. Glutamine supplementation is a potential countermeasure although previously validated doses are not universally well tolerated. Ten males completed two 80-minute subclinical exertional heat stress tests (EHSTs) following either glutamine (0.

Secure app-based secondary healthcare clinical decision support to deployed forces in the UK Defence Medical Services.

Background: Modern instant messaging systems facilitate reach-back medical support for Defence Medical Services (DMS) by connecting deployed clinicians to remote specialists. The mobile app Pando (Forward Clinical, UK) has been used for this purpose by the DMS via the '' function. We aimed to investigate the usage statistics for this technology in its first 1000 days to better understand its role in the DMS.