Measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used in adult patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with symptoms that can significantly reduce the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) may facilitate the assessment of the impact of disease and treatment on the QoL, from a patient perspective. PROMs can be used in research and routine clinical practice.

Observational study of the effects of traumatic injury, haemorrhagic shock and resuscitation on the microcirculation: a protocol for the MICROSHOCK study.

Introduction: The microcirculation is the physiological site of oxygen and substrate exchange. Its effectiveness during circulatory shock is vital for the perfusion of tissues, and has a bearing on subsequent organ function and prognosis. Microcirculatory dysfunction following traumatic haemorrhagic shock (THS) has been understudied compared with other pathologies such as sepsis.

Expression of chemokines CXCL4 and CXCL7 by synovial macrophages defines an early stage of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background And Objectives: For our understanding of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), it is important to elucidate the mechanisms underlying early stages of synovitis. Here, synovial cytokine production was investigated in patients with very early arthritis.

Methods: Synovial biopsies were obtained from patients with at least one clinically swollen joint within 12 weeks of symptom onset.

Temporal and other factors that influence the time doctors take to prescribe using an electronic prescribing system.

Background: A computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system with embedded clinical decision support can reduce medication errors in hospitals, but might increase the time taken to generate orders.

Aims: We aimed to quantify the effects of temporal (month, day of week, hour of shift) and other factors (grade of doctor, prior experience with the system, alert characteristics, and shift type) on the time taken to generate a prescription order.

Setting: A large university teaching hospital using a locally developed CPOE system with an extensive audit database.

Second-generation antipsychotic drug use in hospital inpatients with dementia: the impact of a safety warning on rates of prescribing.

Background: Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia are distressing for patients and are frequently treated with second-generation antipsychotics. Concerns about the drugs' safety resulted in a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warning against their use in March 2009.

Methods: Second-generation antipsychotic drug use was determined amongst patients with dementia admitted to the University Hospitals Birmingham National Health Service Foundation Trust, between July 2005 and December 2011.

Expression of FcRL4 defines a pro-inflammatory, RANKL-producing B cell subset in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: The success of B cell targeting therapies has highlighted the importance of B cells in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis. We have previously shown that B cells in the RA synovium are capable of producing pro-inflammatory and bone-destructive cytokines including RANKL. Here we sought to characterise the nature and functional relevance of the RANKL-producing B cell subset in the RA synovium.