Clinical medicine (London, England)
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Immunoglobulin is an expensive blood product of potentially limited supply used in a wide variety of medical conditions, across a number of specialties. Historically, immunoglobulin has been associated with transmission of blood borne infection (eg hepatitis C). Immunoglobulin use needs to be carefully considered, appropriately prescribed and recorded. The Department of Health, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, has established a demand management programme to secure immunoglobulin supplies for patients most in need of treatment and to limit use for indications where evidence is lacking.
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In the UK, there are over 80,000 admissions annually with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) involves primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which is delivered via dedicated heart attack centres. Non-ST elevation-ACS (NSTE-ACS) accounts for two-thirds of ACS presentations, affecting an older cohort of patients - often with more complex comorbidities. ⋯ However, varying management pathways and access to specialist cardiology services results in variable times to definitive treatment. Advances in the sensitivity of cardiac biomarkers and the use of risk assessment tools now enable rapid diagnosis within a few hours of symptom onset. Advances in invasive management and drug therapy have resulted in improved clinical outcomes with resultant decline in mortality associated with ACS.
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Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the commonest aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma with approximately 5,000 cases annually in the UK. The R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone) regimen has become the international standard of care with cure rates of around 75% and despite extensive studies aimed at improving the outcomes, R-CHOP has not been superseded. Those patients that do not respond to R-CHOP have a poor outlook. ⋯ Precision medicine using new agents, including small molecule inhibitors, is now being investigated for DLBCL. Progress in this disease is likely to come by targeting heterogeneous subtypes through novel combinations. Where R-CHOP fails, we hope that these new approaches can succeed by providing personalised medicine using precision diagnostics to guide new treatment paradigms.
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 8-16% of adults worldwide and is associated with multiple adverse outcomes. It includes a heterogeneous group of conditions with widely varied associated risks; risk stratification is therefore vital for clinical management. ⋯ A new classification system for CKD, which includes GFR and albuminuria, has been endorsed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to aid risk stratification and a recently validated formula, requiring only age, gender, eGFR and albuminuria, is useful to predict risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). A risk-based approach will facilitate appropriate treatment for people at high risk of developing ESKD while sparing the majority, who are at low risk, from unnecessary intervention.
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The national picture of the comparative costs and diagnoses of hospitalised homeless patients are examined using the 'no fixed abode' flag in English hospital statistics. Comparable studies sample patients in single cities, eg New York and Toronto. The most common diagnosis is substance misuse; the share of homeless NHS patients with this diagnosis is rising, and now equals that found in North American cities. ⋯ Hospital costs for homeless patients - both total and per admission - have fallen significantly in recent years, primarily because of fewer admissions and shorter lengths of stay for mentally ill patients. Aims to reduce NHS costs at the level of individual institutions have often shaped policy. Broader policy to prevent and reduce homelessness offers substantial long-term reductions in the cost of chronic care.