BMJ : British medical journal
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To describe trends in hospital admission rates for asthma in England and Wales (1976-85), the East Anglian region (from 1976 to 1991-2), and Wales (1980-90). ⋯ Interpretation of the East Anglian trends is made more difficult by the change in England in 1987 of the system for the collection of hospital admission data. The fact that the rates for the East Anglian region seem to decline before this change and other considerations suggest that the observed trends, although partly reflecting the disruption of the coding during the changeover in systems, may not be entirely artefactual. The possible roles of diagnostic transfer and changes in the delivery of care, asthma treatment, admission and readmission policies, and the severity and prevalence of asthma in changing admission rates are considered. The changing trends in admission rates for East Anglia and Wales reflect recently published trends for mortality from asthma in England.
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Foreign doctors, other than those from the European Economic Area, who want to train in Britain have to satisfy registration and immigration requirements before they can take up a post. The General Medical Council administers the registration regulations. These are quite separate from the immigration formalities, which are handled by the Home Office. The rules on both are complicated, and doctors should seek advice early to ensure that unnecessary difficulties do not add to the inevitable stresses associated with moving to a new country and working in a strange system.
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Comparative Study
Injury patterns in cyclists attending an accident and emergency department: a comparison of helmet wearers and non-wearers.
To study circumstances of bicycle accidents and nature of injuries sustained and to determine effect of safety helmets on pattern of injuries. ⋯ The findings suggest an increased risk of sustaining head injury in a bicycle accident when a motor vehicle is involved and confirm protective effect of helmet wearing for any bicycle accident.