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A Practitioner's Must Read
Solutions to physician burnout — US National Academy of Medicine report
In response to concerning rates of burnout among US clinicians and trainees, the National Academy of Medicine has published a report that aims to...
Non-pharmacologic interventions for dementia patients with aggression symptoms
For patients with dementia who have symptoms of aggression and agitation, interventions such as outdoor activities, massage and touch therapy may be more effective...
Updated guidelines on diagnosis treatment of community-acquired pneumonia
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) have published updated guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of adults...
Ingestible sensor could revolutionise TB treatment
An ingestible sensor that enables health workers to check that patients have taken their medication could revolutionise tuberculosis treatment, particularly in developing countries, The...
Immunotherapy substantially improves survival in advanced melanoma patients
Immunotherapy substantially improves survival in metastatic melanoma, from 5-year survival levels of 5% a decade ago, to 52% now, a clinical trial shows. Doctors...
Sublingual immunotherapy effective and safe treatment for peanut allergy
Sublingual immunotherapy, a new treatment for peanut, could offer patients a safe and effective way to protect themselves from severe allergic reactions or even...
Surgical masks match respirators for flu and respiratory virus protection
A US study reported “no significant difference in the effectiveness” of medical masks versus more expensive N95 respirators for prevention of influenza or other viral respiratory...
New NICE hypertension guidelines a 'pragmatic compromise’ — The Lancet
The latest UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on antihypertensives "should be welcomed" as "a pragmatic compromise", writes The Lancet in an...
Low-dose aspirin of no benefit for CVD-free people over 70
Low-dose aspirin does not prolong disability-free survival of healthy people over 70, even in those at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. The late...
'Alarming' rates of second-line HIV treatment failure in sub-Saharan Africa
The number of people failing second-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) is reaching “alarming” levels in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with failure more common in the first...
FDA approves treatment for highly drug-resistant forms of TB
Pretomanid, a novel compound developed by the non-profit organisation TB Alliance, has been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for treating...
Home births as safe as hospital births — international study
A large international study led by McMaster University shows that low risk pregnant women who intend to give birth at home have no increased...
Concern over contraceptive solutions for women at high risk of HIV
Over the past three days, the World Health Organisation guideline development group has been meeting to discuss its recommendations for the use of contraceptive...
Lack of clinical trials fuels doctors' reluctance to prescribe cannabis
High expectations among the UK public of the benefits of medicinal cannabis are being disappointed because doctors are unwilling to prescribe it in the...
Invasive cervical cancer rates high in women living with HIV in Africa and Latin America
A study has found that rates of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) are particularly high in women living with HIV in South Africa or Latin...
Sleep-disordered breathing linked to accelerated ageing
Increasing severity of sleep-disordered breathing and sleep disruption are associated with epigenetic age acceleration, according to preliminary results of a US study. Results show...
FDA recommends TB Alliance's MDR-TB treatment regimen
Independent experts of a US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted in favour of the not-for-profit TB Alliance’s treatment for drug resistant tuberculosis, as...
Physical exercise: A ‘fundamental’ psychiatric intervention
When it comes to inpatient treatment of a range of mental health and mood disorders – from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia, suicidality and...
WHO classifies gaming disorder and burnout as illnesses
The World Health Organisation has moved forward with a proposal to classify “gaming disorder” as an illness, reports Venture Beat. After a consideration period...
Tele-medicine preferred to in-person appointments — US study
Nine out of 10 people who had a virtual visit with a doctor said it was more convenient than other ways of getting care,...
'Practice-changing' study on antibiotics given after assisted birth
Thousands of women every year could be spared painful and occasionally life-threatening infections if doctors administered preventive antibiotics after every assisted childbirth, The Guardian...
US opioid prescription guidelines 'wrongly implemented'
The authors of influential US guidelines for opioid prescriptions for chronic pain say that doctors and others in the health care system had wrongly...
Additional routine ultrasounds benefit mothers and babies — POP study
Offering universal late pregnancy ultrasounds at 36 weeks’ gestation eliminates undiagnosed breech presentation of babies, lowers the rate of emergency caesarean sections, and improves...
Interim advice on prescribing of cannabis-based products and cannabinoids
A UK clinical review provides new interim advice for doctors and clinicians in prescribing cannabis-based products and cannabinoids to treat certain conditions.
Since a policy...
Management of asymptomatic bacteriuria — US updates guidelines
The Infectious Disease Society of America has published updated guidelines for the management of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB). The update includes recommendations for previously unaddressed...
Exercise, more than diet, keeps that weight off
Successful weight-loss maintainers rely on physical activity to remain in energy balance (rather than chronic restriction of dietary intake) to avoid weight regain over...
A1c test 'highly unreliable' at diagnosing diabetes
The haemoglobin A1c blood test is 'highly unreliable' at diagnosing diabetes and tends to underestimate the prevalence of the disease, according to a study...
It's never too late to start exercising — large US study
It's truly never too late to begin exercising, research shows. Medical Xpress reports that a major study has found that even for people who...
SA's 'sobering' HIV drug-resistance figures
One in six people not on treatment in a large South African household survey already had drug-resistant HIV and more than half of those...
Taking the plunge — the benefits of cold-water swimming
Angus Harrison looks at the health benefits of cold-water swimming in a Vice report. He writes: “Brighton, 6:45am. The sky is clear and silent:...
Breast feeding for three months helps keep child eczema at bay
Children exclusively breastfed for the first three months of life had significantly lower odds of having eczema at age 6 compared with peers who...
Flawed WHO advice may be putting surgery patients at risk
Patients may have been placed at risk of serious harm because of flawed advice to administer highly concentrated oxygen after surgery, leading anaesthetists have...
NHS research shows HPV screening practical and more efficacious than cytology
Screening for high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection works well in practice and is more sensitive than cytology (smear) testing – offering greater protection...
Durban methadone projects eyes national rollout
The pioneers of a pilot project in Durban aimed at helping heroin drug users are currently in talks with the Health Department about a...
Pressure at work increases weight gain risk in women
Heavy pressures at work seem to predispose women to weight gain, irrespective of whether they have received an academic education. This is shown in...
Home-based BP control programme proves efficient
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a widespread clinical problem affecting nearly half of all adults. Despite the serious consequences that can result from...
Any physical activity cuts mortality risk
A study of around 8,000 middle-aged and older adults found that swapping a half-hour of sitting around with physical activity of any intensity or...
Exercise may lower BP as much as medication – review of 400 trials
Exercise could be just as effective in lowering high blood pressure as prescribed medication, according to a review of 400 trials.
Researchers pooled data from...
UK study finds increased mental health problems facing the young
A fifth of girls aged 17-19 and one in 10 boys the same age have self-harmed or tried to kill themselves, The Guardian reports...
Omega-3 during pregnancy reduces risk of premature birth
A Cochrane Review has found that increasing the intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) during pregnancy reduces the risk of premature births.
Premature...