Bridging the gap: From petri dish to patient - Advancements in translational drug discovery.

Translational research serves as the bridge between basic research and practical applications in clinical settings. The journey from "bench to bedside" is fraught with challenges and complexities such as the often-observed disparity between how compounds behave in a laboratory setting versus in the complex systems of living organisms. The challenge is further compounded by the limited ability of in vitro models to mimic the specific biochemical environment of human tissues.

Characteristics, risk factors and clinical impact of penicillin and other antibiotic allergies in adults in the UK General Practice: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: To assess the characteristics, risk factors and clinical impact of penicillin and other antibiotic allergy labels in general practice in the UK.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Setting: Primary care in the UK, 2000-2018.

Circadian rhythms and cancer: implications for timing in therapy.

Circadian rhythms, intrinsic cycles spanning approximately 24 h, regulate numerous physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, and metabolism. These rhythms are orchestrated by the circadian clock, primarily located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. Disruptions in circadian rhythms, whether due to genetic mutations, environmental factors, or lifestyle choices, can significantly impact health, contributing to disorders such as sleep disturbances, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases.

Caecal Volvulus in a Foramen of Winslow Hernia Masquerading as Biliary Colic.

Internal hernias account for a minority of cases of intestinal obstruction. Within this group, internal hernias through the foramen of Winslow (FW) are an even rarer subcategory with a paucity of cases reported in the literature. We present a case of a 48-year-old female presenting with right upper quadrant pain akin to biliary colic with sonographic evidence of cholelithiasis.

The appropriateness of penicillin allergy de-labelling by non-allergist clinical ward teams.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the appropriateness of penicillin allergy (PenA) assessment conducted by clinical teams and to review the safety of subsequent exposure of these patients to penicillin.

Methods: Opportunistic, prospective observational study of usual clinical care, between 16 May 2023 and 14 August 2023, of inpatients with a PenA and requiring antibiotics, in a 750-bed hospital in England. To assess the appropriateness of management, PenA patients prescribed penicillins were grouped into risk categories using a validated antibiotic allergy assessment tool: eligible for de-label on history alone (direct de-label; DDL), eligible for direct oral challenge (DOC), high risk or unable to obtain history.

Laxative use in adults with intellectual disabilities: development of prescribing guidelines.

Background: Constipation is overrepresented in people with intellectual disabilities. Around 40% of people with intellectual disabilities who died prematurely were prescribed laxatives. A quarter of people with intellectual disabilities are said to be on laxatives.

Penicillin allergy de-labelling by non-allergists: a comparison of testing protocols.

Optimizing penicillin allergy de-labelling (PADL) to ensure patients with an incorrect penicillin allergy record are de-labelled with minimal patient harm is important for antibiotic stewardship. The heterogeneity of inclusion and exclusion criteria in the published penicillin allergy testing protocols risks suboptimal delivery of PADL. We compared the similarities and the differences between non-allergist-delivered PADL testing protocols and make suggestions for harmonization.

A population-scale temporal case-control evaluation of COVID-19 disease phenotype and related outcome rates in patients with cancer in England (UKCCP).

Patients with cancer are at increased risk of hospitalisation and mortality following severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, the SARS-CoV-2 phenotype evolution in patients with cancer since 2020 has not previously been described. We therefore evaluated SARS-CoV-2 on a UK populationscale from 01/11/2020-31/08/2022, assessing case-outcome rates of hospital assessment(s), intensive care admission and mortality.

Removal of incorrect penicillin allergy labels in a UK hospital.

Objectives: Penicillin allergy records are common, often incorrect and are associated with broad spectrum antibiotic use. We piloted a pharmacist-led multidisciplinary penicillin allergy de-labelling daily ward round to determine the opportunity for penicillin allergy de-labelling in a UK hospital.

Methods: A daily ward round, delivered by antibiotic pharmacists or junior doctors, identified adult medical and surgical patients between 7 November 2022 and 31 January 2023 with a penicillin allergy record that was preventing first-line penicillin use.

Management of vagus nerve stimulation therapy in the peri-operative period: Guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists: Guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists.

Vagus nerve stimulation is a well-established treatment option for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and has an expanding range of other clinical indications. Side effects of vagus nerve stimulation therapy include: cough; voice changes; vocal cord adduction; rarely, obstructive sleep apnoea; and arrhythmia. Patients with implanted vagus nerve stimulation devices may present for unrelated surgery and critical care to clinicians who are unfamiliar with their function and safe management.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of the Exercise Program in Endometrial Cancer; Feasibility and Acceptability Survivorship Trial (EPEC-FAST).

To evaluate the feasibility of an individualized exercise program in the standard care for endometrial cancer patients aimed to improve quality of life and other health outcomes. This was a single-arm prospective intervention trial to assess the feasibility of an individualized exercise intervention in endometrial cancer patients after treatment. The exercise intervention consisted of weekly individualized training sessions, for 10 weeks, at a local gym facility.

Addressing the Challenges of Penicillin Allergy Delabeling With Electronic Health Records and Mobile Applications.

Allergy labels are common, often incorrect, and potentially harmful. There are many opportunities for clinical decision support (CDS) tools integrated in the electronic health record (EHR) and mobile apps to address the challenges with drug allergy management, including penicillin allergy delabeling (PADL). Effective delabeling solutions must consider multidisciplinary clinical workflow and multistep processes, including documentation, assessment, plan (eg, allergy testing and referral), record update, drug allergy alert management, and allergy reconciliation over time.

Mobile health as a primary mode of intervention for women at risk of or diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus: a scoping review.

Objective: The objective of this review was to map the knowledge related to the use of mobile health (mHealth) as a primary mode of intervention for the prevention and management of gestational diabetes mellitus and its long-term implications among women at risk of or diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. We also sought to understand if mHealth for women at risk of or diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus incorporated relevant behavior change theory and techniques.

Introduction: Prevention and management of gestational diabetes mellitus and its associated adverse outcomes are important to maternal and infant health.

Impact of introducing procalcitonin testing on antibiotic usage in acute NHS hospitals during the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK: a controlled interrupted time series analysis of organization-level data.

Background: Blood biomarkers have the potential to help identify COVID-19 patients with bacterial coinfection in whom antibiotics are indicated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, procalcitonin testing was widely introduced at hospitals in the UK to guide antibiotic prescribing. We have determined the impact of this on hospital-level antibiotic consumption.

Effectiveness of interventions that support penicillin allergy assessment and de-labeling of patients by non-allergy specialists: a systematic review protocol.

Objective: This review will systematically examine and synthesize the evidence evaluating the effectiveness and safety of interventions that enable non-allergy specialist health care workers to assess allergy risk in patients with reported penicillin allergies and subsequently remove erroneous allergy records.

Introduction: The potential benefits of removing erroneous penicillin allergy labels (de-labeling) are wide-ranging. Penicillin allergy assessment and de-labeling is an antibiotic stewardship priority.

Technologies to Support Assessment of Movement During Video Consultations: Exploratory Study.

Background: Understanding and assessing patients' body movements is essential for physical rehabilitation but is challenging in video consultations, as clinicians are frequently unable to see the whole patient or observe the patient as they perform specific movements.

Objective: The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the use of readily available technologies that would enable remote assessment of patient movement as part of a video consultation.

Methods: We reviewed the literature and available technologies and chose four technologies (Kubi and Pivo desktop robots, Facebook Portal TV, wide-angle webcam), in addition to help from a friend or a simple mobile phone holder, to assist video consultations.

Use of Procalcitonin during the First Wave of COVID-19 in the Acute NHS Hospitals: A Retrospective Observational Study.

A minority of patients presenting to hospital with COVID-19 have bacterial co-infection. Procalcitonin testing may help identify patients for whom antibiotics should be prescribed or withheld. This study describes the use of procalcitonin in English and Welsh hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Treatment Outcomes for Small Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder: Results From a UK Patient Retrospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: Small cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCCB) is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all bladder carcinomas. It is aggressive, and outcomes are poor as a result of its early metastatic spread. Owing to its rarity, there are limitations on data to propose standardized management pathways.

Potential to reduce antibiotic use in secondary care: Single-centre process audit of prescription duration using NICE guidance for common infections.

Introduction: Antibiotic use drives antibiotic resistance. Reducing antibiotic use through reducing antibiotic course lengths could contribute to the UK national ambition to reduce total antibiotic use.

Methods: Medical notes were reviewed for patients who had received at least 5 days of antibiotic therapy; had been discharged in January 2019; and were from a 750-bed acute secondary care hospital in England.

The Surfer's Shoulder: A Systematic Review of Current Literature and Potential Pathophysiological Explanations of Chronic Shoulder Complaints in Wave Surfers.

Background: Wave surfing will debut in the next Olympic Games and is increasingly popular as a sport. Chronic shoulder complaints are frequently reported amongst surfers, though literature researching its pathophysiology and prevention is scarce. This article provides an overview of the current literature, proposes a potential pathogenesis and a potential physiotherapeutic prevention program for surf-induced shoulder complaints.